


Venenum

by Koryanderi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1943, Blood and Gore, F/M, Jealousy, Manipulation, Narcissism, Obsession, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Tom Riddle, Smut, Sociopathy, Time Travel, Tom Riddle's Diary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 17:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16706821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koryanderi/pseuds/Koryanderi
Summary: Hermione travels for the year 1943. All she wants is to return to her friends, but her evasive attitude and behavior that breaks the standards of time, ends up arousing interest of Tom Riddle that soon turns into an obsession.





	1. Oxyuranus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> -Before reading, I want to make it clear that English is not my mother tongue, so forgive me for any error in the text. But I worked hard, so I hope it's legible for you.
> 
> -The story and characters of the "Harry Potter" saga belong to the writer JK Rowling
> 
> -Edited on 05 - 29 - 2019

 

_ Prologue _ _ - _ _ Oxyuranus. _

 

The tension was palpable in the Room of Requirement. The students and future Death Eaters looked at each other, sucking their breaths as they waited for their leader. They were accusatory eyes, wanting to find a culprit of why they were all there, yet everyone shared something: fear.

They could taste the fear in their tongues, they felt they heart hammer against their ribs, each beat was an affliction. The silence was so deep that a pin could be heard if it fell to the floor.

 

_ How bad will it be?  _ They wondered.  _ Mercy. Who would not want to receive mercy in this situation?  _

 

The door opened and  _ he _ came. The future Death Eaters cringed, watching that door disappear, leaving no means of escape. There were no windows, no doors or any way to escape. They were trapped. Trapped with death, torture, sadism embodying a boy handsome as an angel. An obscure and Machiavellian angel.

Tom Riddle came in like a hurricane, rage flickering across his face. He walked with firm and quick steps, his teeth sawing in frustration. He was just in his shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbow and the Slytherin's tie slightly loose, his sweater, gray blazer and robe far from visible.

The Knights of Walpurgis, seeing their leader's wrath, moved away, trying to stay out of sight of Riddle, but nothing and no one could save Alphard Black.

 

"Riddle..." Alphard begins, but is stopped by Tom, who pulled him by the collar of his shirt, slamming Alphard's back against the wall, then punching the pit of his stomach.

Tom, in all his psychotic and princely aura, watched his servant slide down the wall, placing his hand on his stomach to stroke the pain and falling in his knees. Through the strands of his hair, Alphard casts a glance and chin up defiantly, awakening Tom's berserk. Tom's hands tremble as he twists them into a fist, the strong, dark, vengeful magic revolves around him, there is a red light in his eyes. A bestial roar welled up in Tom's throat as he glanced at Alphard Black, any trace of coherence was lost and then he lunged at the boy. What came next was brutal.

 

Even Alphard - who have a brave, almost Gryffindor spirit - couldn’t contain his screams. The sequence of punches on the face and kicks in the ribs, made him bewildered and unable to defend himself. In the room, it was possible to feel the angry magic of Tom, as if it were something alive and when Alphard tried to drag himself away, such magic intensified.

 

**_He would beg._ **

**_He would not run away._ **

 

Tom dragged him back by the legs and then punched him again. He gritted his teeth and must have done some spell, as irregular cuts opened in Alphard's face. Tom wanted to undo Alphard's face, because the image of him smiling at her, was still fresh in his mind and all he wanted was to make it impossible for Alphard to smile.

It would stay in his mind, that every time he tried to approach her, that would happen to him. And it would get worse and worse and worse. Then, it would have more blood and more blood and more blood.

 

Tom felt a fury so blinding that when a crack was heard, he seemed to awaken from his trance.  _ I broke something. What was? The nose? No, no. This one I broke when I hammered his face against the wall. Ah, the jawbone. You can’t smile now, can you? _

 

He stood up slowly. There was a splash of blood on his face, on his shirt and blood on his hands, his knuckles were sore and Alphard's face was unrecognizable, yet it was still not enough.

He looked at his servants, watching intently the horrified and fearful features of them. Tom laughed out loud. He actually laughed as if this was the funniest joke he'd ever heard. An involuntary tear appeared in his eyes and he wiped it away before it fell, staining his pale face with more blood, and then he turned his eyes, which glittered in red, to Alphard, who was sprawled on the ground, making no move, except involuntary spasms and grunts of pain.

 

_ Treacherous him, eh? Trying to steal me right under my nose. How dare he try to take her away from me? _ Tom pondered. _ Kill it or not kill it? _

 

Oh, how he'd like to squeeze his throat and see life coming out of him, watching his skin turn purple from breathlessness until nothing was left. It was tempting indeed, but the Black family is one of the most important connections he could have in the Wizarding World and also, it would be very bad to deal with another murder after what happened to Myrtle. This time there would be no Hagrid to blame, not that this was the problem, he could find another victim of his manipulations. The problem was all the work that would have to be done and well, he didn’t have the patience for it. And by the way, this was a damn Black. Investigations would certainly be more meaningful simply because of the damn surname Alphard carried.

Tom put his hands on his waist and looked at the ceiling of the Room of Requirement.  _ Shit, I cannot kill him! _

 

He couldn’t kill him, it wouldn’t mean that he wouldn’t give him a remembrance, a reminder. Tom then stepped slowly and hard on the fingers of Alphard's left hand. Alphard tried to make some sound, a cry of pain, but his broken jaw wouldn’t let him do it and if he tried, the more pain he would feel.

Another 'crack' was heard, so everyone knew that, so everyone knew that Alphard's fingers were broken. However, nothing could be darker than the smile that Tom Riddle had on his face. After what seemed to be an eternity, Tom stops stepping on Alphard's fingers and gives a final kick to his stomach, indicating the end of the torture.

 

It was certainly ironic as The Dark Lord, a powerful wizard with his dark magic, chose such Muggle methods to torture someone. But he wanted to feel the blood on his hands. He drew back, his footsteps being the only noise in the Room, his servants were frozen, staring at the floor of the Room of Requirement as if it was the most interesting thing they had ever seen.Tom took his wand in the pocket of his pants and with a wave, the blood stains on his clothes, hands and face disappeared. He could not wander the halls of Hogwarts with bloodstains.

He glanced over his shoulder,

 

"Clean this mess," was an order, his voice in a cold tone, making his servants shudder. "I hope you have understood what happens when you practice Quidditch. Someone always falls off the broom. "

 

There it was, the lie everyone would tell. Tom left the details of the lie for them to handle. Without further ado, the door of the Room of Requirement appeared, Tom Riddle left.

 

When _ that _ door disappeared again, they all went into hysteria.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note : Oxyuranus microlepidotus is the scientific name of the most poisonous snake in the world. It is known as Western Taipan


	2. Pseudonaja

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I would like to thank everyone who favored, followed and commented. I admit that I was a bit afraid to post in a language that is not mine, but I wanted to share the story with as many people as I could. And I was happy to know that I was able to produce the text in a way that you understood. So, thank you again for all the affection. 
> 
> -I would like to thank Guest, Anon, Seanymphe, TheLoverOfLit, Meg, Cfps3000, AriHuntington and Eve for the comments! 
> 
> -Through the comments and private messages that were extremely sweet and that asked me to move on with the story, I decided to make it a multi-chapter story. I hope I do not disappoint you. 
> 
> -Before continuing, I want to make a warning about the character 'Tom Riddle': Tom Riddle has a complicated personality. He is probably sociopathic, egocentric, sadistic / masochistic, narcissistic (in various subtypes), manipulative and controlling.  
> And I believe that if he got into a relationship, he would probably develop codependency, obsession, and possessiveness.  
> So the maximum I can rate him for this story is as "anti-hero." 
> 
> -The story will be classified as Explicit / Mature. Due to future scenes of violence, blood and sexual. 
> 
> -I gave preference to put the scenes of the film, to cover to everybody. Due to the fact that there are people who only know the saga "Harry Potter" by the films. But whenever possible, I intend to put book references in the most explanatory way possible for all to understand. 
> 
> For those who have not read the books: I recommend it. It's a great book saga. 
> 
> \- The delay in releasing the chapter is due to the fact that I write in my mother tongue, then I translate it into English and try to correct any errors in the text, trying to make the text more readable for you. So I hope you understand the reason for the delay. 
> 
> -The characters and history of the "Harry Potter" saga belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> -This is only the first chapter, a beginning. I hope it went well for me. Forgive me for any mistake in the text, English is not my mother tongue, but let me know so I can correct any mistake. 
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> -Edited on 05-30-2019

 

_ Chapter 1. Pseudonaja _ _ \-  _ _ Time Turner _

 

**1998**

 

Hermione was still standing, staring intently at the back of Harry Potter, who was making his way to his death. She took a deep breath, her chest aching and a lonely tear trickling down her cheek. Next to her was Ron. When Harry disappeared from their sight, both gasped, not knowing that they were holding their breath. Ron was the first to move, making the opposite way to Harry's, up to the Hogwarts stairs.

 

"We need to help him, Ron," she said.

 

"You heard what he said. We have to wait and kill the snake. "

 

Ron continued up the stairs, putting his hands in the pocket of his coat and in no time turning to look at her.

 

"He can’t go. He's going to die!" Hermione said, a little desperate. "There has to be another way. We can’t abandon him! He's our best friend!"

 

"I know, okay!" Ron finally turned to face her. His face held an expression that mixed anger and sadness. There were tears in his eyes and he struggled to keep them contained. His lower lip trembled. "I know," Ron murmured softly. His voice reflected sorrow for all the friends who had been killed, for his brother Fred and now for Harry Potter, his best friend. "I know," He repeated again. 

 

Hermione ran to hug him tightly, holding like a life buoy, weeping in his arms. 

 

"I just need to tell Ginny," He holds Hermione while hiding his face in the tangle of her hair. "She needs to know."

 

After a while, he released her and went upstairs. She sat up, tears streaming down her face as she tried to dry them with the palm of her hand.

 

Hermione was alone in the rubble of what once was the beautiful and magical staircase of Hogwarts and now it was nothing more except destruction, the dust and the smell of death. The pressure of the environment made her tense, making even her bag look heavy, the silence was making the sound of the wind seem ghostly. Alone, there, she was nauseated and weak, sad and desperate. Everything around her seemed dead and hopeless. And now, with Harry going to die, the gravity of the situation finally seemed to be too heavy to bear. 

 

_ No! _

 

Hermione condemned herself for her faithless thoughts. She couldn’t lose her courage now, otherwise, all the acts, the deaths, the time surviving, obliviating her parents, the sacrifices... Everything would have been for nothing. They can’t give up now.

 

She lifted her gaze, determination shining in her brown eyes. Hermione wiped the traces of her tears from her face, she breathed heavily as she stood up, her genius mind starting to make a plan to kill the snake. She had to go to Ron. They had to kill the snake.

As soon as she took the first step up the stairs, she froze. Her breath caught in her throat and a shiver ran up her spine. Hermione swallowed, she slowly turned to the constant whispers in a strange tongue, rare even in the Wizarding World, resembling Harry's. Similar to  **You-Know-Who.**

 

She screamed for Ron, asking for help, alarmed at what was going on there and all she heard was the echo of her voice. She squeezed Bellatrix's unyielding wand, seeking some security and ready to attack whoever was hiding. There was only one small problem, Bellatrix's wand didn’t want to bow to her and was extremely demanding. Instead of her magic running smoothly, Hermione had to concentrate a lot on the spell she wanted to make. It was clear that she hadn’t won the fidelity of the wand, and they simply didn’t get along. It would be hypocritical to say that she had tried, but the truth is that Hermione hated this wand and apparent hatred was mutual. Which left her at the mercy of luck a little,  if Bellatrix's wand decided to fail at the wrong time, Hermione would surely die.

 

Against all the basic principles of survival that sounded in her mind, Hermione made her way to the constant whispers in Parseltongue. Hermione might not know Parseltongue, but she was smart enough to understand that there was a complexity in what was being said and there were also her instincts that she learned to never neglect. With her wand in hand, she walked out of Hogwarts, attentive to the slightest strange movement. The night was cold and morbid and combined strangely with the destruction that Hogwarts was, almost like a funeral.

She would never ask a stupid question like 'Who's there?', screaming and denouncing her position. They were at war and only a foolish person would do such an unthinkable act. When she noticed where the whispers came from, Hermione swallowed. The hand that held the wand tightly was shaking now, she pointed the wand to the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

 

Okay, maybe this should be the time when she should turn back and run, go back to Ron’s arms and the Weasley family, be with her classmates and try to keep a cool head to plan the next step for the battle. However, this doesn’t match her personality.

 

Hermione got a reputation of bossy for nothing. She was knowledgeable of the rules, perfectionist, linking to impose order and a little judgmental - almost always correcting people. The vast knowledge she had, combined with her intelligence, exceeded all expectations.

This side of her personality almost convinced The Sorting Hat to put her in the Ravenclaw, but there was the other side of her personality that made The Sorting Hat stand in extreme doubt.

Hermione remembers how the Hat took four minutes to decide which House she should be in. He seemed to quarrel with himself, almost as if he had known her before, and though he said that her brain was impressive, the part of her personality that was curious, determined, courageous and loyal seemed to catch the attention of Hat. In the end, she entered in Gryffindor and to this day she didn’t regret where she was placed.

 

It was a fact that Hermione was a lover of the rules, but she lost the   count

of how many rules she broke while she was with her friends. Even loving the rules, logic, and intelligence, the part of her curious and brave, always spoke louder. Like now, where her curiosity and determination made her enter the Forbidden Forest. That curiosity that made her have almost suicidal attitudes.

 

She knew there was danger. It could be the Snatchers, the Death Eaters or Voldemort himself, who might be stalking her, but Harry was there too. 

The whispers stopped abruptly, Hermione clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes in the darkness of the forest. The silence became disturbing and whoever or whatever was there, was staring at her. Hermione could feel the attention she was receiving.

She squeezed her wand further, preparing herself. It’s someone. It’s someone! 

Her eyes opened wildly and before she could make any move or cast a spell, the wand flew from her hand, heading into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. Her heart began to beat faster.

 

_ A non-verbal Expelliarmus! _ Whomever her attacker was, is someone powerful. A non-verbal spell is always very difficult to perform and requires mental discipline. Bearing in mind that the strength and speed with which the wand flew from her hand, whomever her attacker was, shouldn’t be underestimated.

Before she could have a second thought, Hermione was hit by a green light and was upside down, as if an invisible hook had lifted her from her ankle.

 

_ Levicorpus _ . She recognized fearfully.

 

In her upside-down view, she noticed someone approaching through the fog of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione narrowed her eyes in the hope that she could tell who it was that was coming toward her, her heart pounding against her chest and her affliction mixed with adrenaline, began to rise in the pit of her stomach.

She was released from the spell, banging against the ground and before she could even stand up completely, she was trapped in the spell Incarcerous.

 

_ After all, what did she expect? Courtesy? _ She snorted mentally at this thought.

 

Hermione finally looked at her attacker and instantly her skin froze. 

 

Who is this person? She couldn’t tell. There was a black robe covering the whole body of the person, leaving no idea to know if it was a man or a woman, but she assumed it was a man. The sleeves of the robe covered his hands, but they showed half the wand he held. But what scared her the most, was the face. The hood of the robe covered the head of the person, but the face... Where should be his face or partially a vision of him, was dark. Dark as if nothing was there. But she knew better.

 

Some kind of Charm, maybe? There was a face there, the person just wasn’t willing to show it. It was a very realistic view of how the personification Death looked. He only lacked the scythe. Whoever it was, he approached her with calm steps with deliberate slowness, stopping just in front of her. This wasn’t an ally, he was much more like a Death Eater in these clothes.

Hermione swallowed, refusing to feel fear and gave him a fierce look.

 

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice sounding more confident than she actually felt.

 

Hermione would not ask something like 'What do you want?' for a Death Eater, because it was very clear what they all wanted. But she thought it fair that at least she knew the identity of her attacker if she was going to die now. She took a deep breath, soothing her heart that beat against her chest. She supposed that at the time of her death, she would feel more desperate or would cry, but she was frankly surprised that she was not feeling any of this right now. Maybe it was because she had no regrets. She fought bravely for everything she believed in, she protected her parents, she was recognized for her student efforts, she danced at the Yule Ball, she had true friends, she  **kissed the boy she liked** .

 

Her attacker tilted his head to the side, analyzing her and Hermione could swear he was almost smiling behind this Charm of Darkness. She writhed on the ropes that held her as she watched him approach of her face. He was holding something in his left hand and she leaned back, trying to escape from his grasp.

He bent down, staying in her height - which was on her knees - his hands turned around her, trapping something around her neck. _ A necklace? A medallion? _ Hermione couldn’t say for sure, but she supposed it was a medallion because of the weight.

 

_ What the hell is that? A new kind of ritual of the Death Eaters? A collar to identify Muggle-borns? _ She didn’t doubt that it was the last option, these people were very sadistic and liked to humiliate.

 

Then she heard a noise, like a roulette wheel, and he began to speak in Parseltongue again as he held the medallion. Hermione felt the beginning of the magic happening, he was quoting something for the medallion that was now tied around her neck. A spell.

 

Now she was starting to feel desperate. When he stopped, she stared intently into the darkness, this time, alarmed.

 

"What did you do?!" she asked furiously. 

 

He didn’t bother to answer and took her wand out of his robes. Or rather, Bellatrix's wand and put it in the pocket of her coat. He was given to her, her wand. Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

 

So, he's on our side? A sound ‘ click’ came from the medallion and she looked down, trying to recognize what was locked on her neck, but when the chords of the spell Incarcerous fell apart, she looked at him again. In seconds she was on her feet and pointing her wand at him.

 

"Who are you and what have you done to me?" Hermione asked deliberately slowly and dangerously. In a quick gesture, she took the medallion around her neck and looked.  _ A Time-Turner? _ "Answer me!" She demanded fiercely, trying to pull the medallion from her neck, but it seemed to be locked. The Time-Turner on her neck did another ‘click’ before turning again.

 

Hermione was about to cast a  _ Confringo _ when she heard noises in the forest. She looked at her opponent, waiting to see if he would make some noise and denounce their position.

She realizes that in no time he withdraws his wand and pointed at her, but she wouldn’t trust in him, so she chose not to lower her guard.

 

When the noises grew closer, Hermione understood that she couldn’t stay there. The Death Eaters are too close, probably hunting Harry and there will be many of them for her to deal, especially with a wand that refused to respond to her completely. 

 

She retreats a few steps, never taking her eyes off the person in front of her, the Time-Turner does another 'click' and turns again and Hermione is agonized to get it off her neck. The noises get closer and closer and she retreats more, the person in the cloak does nothing to stop her. So she concludes that he was an "ally", but what he did to her, she has no idea.

 

Hermione takes one last look, before turning her back and running with all her breath. Time-Turner does another 'click' and spins again.

She is running in the Forbidden Forest with Death Eaters hunting. She's not the prey they want - they want Harry Potter - but if they catch her, they'd probably use it as a bargain in exchange for Harry and Harry would certainly accept.

 

The Time-Turner does another 'click' and Hermione is worried, she wants to stop it and pull it out of her neck, to analyze why this Time-Turner is making noise. Seems to be different and she's really scared of what this might mean. However, what makes her most angry is that the cord that holds the medallion is actually locked; stuck and doesn’t look like it will open easily.

 

In the distance, she sees someone standing in a glade.  _ Harry? Harry! It's Harry!  _

 

He’s standing there alone and it looks like he's finished talking to someone. Hermione was surprised for a moment before calling him.

 

"Harry!"

 

He turns at the sound of Hermione's voice. Surprised, Harry is about to contest why she's here. She’s not supposed to be here. Then he notices the movement behind her and starts to run towards her.

 

"Hermione!" He warns her of danger.

 

A Death Eater caught her by the hair, pulling Hermione. Harry picks up his wand and points at the Death Eater as he grabs her arm. The Time-Turner makes the last ' click', sucking all three.

 

**It was like Apparating in the wrong way** . That's how she felt. They were spinning and spinning in a fall that seemed infinite. Hermione only felt that fall stopped when her body hit the ground. The impact made her sore and she was vaguely conscious of a few screams all around her.

 

The lightening of the sky in the afternoon, makes her eyes burn when she opens them. Hermione tries to stand up to know where she is, but she met with the sight of Harry being thrown for being the victim of an Expulso.

She crawls on the ground, picking up her wand as she realizes the Death Eater's intention to launch the  _ Avada Kedrava _ into Harry. Before that happens, Hermione uses a  _ Confringo _ , forcing her enemy to erect a shield.

 

Harry is unconscious and she is starting to feel dizzy, her vision is also starting to blur, but she will not give up.

 

**o0o**

 

**1943**

 

Tom Riddle looked serenely at Slughorn, pretending to pay attention to the explanation he gave about a potion, but internally Tom was yawning and bored. He hated Slughorn's long lectures, but he had to put up with it. Being the Head of Slytherin House, it was always good to have Slughorn as his ally.

 

He was counting the minutes for the potion class to end, when a wave of strong magic ran through the walls of Hogwarts. He glanced at the classroom doors, his classmates copying his movement. It was impossible that anyone had not felt this. The murmurs began, and Tom did not fail to notice when Slughorn held his wand. As a precaution, Tom also held his wand tightly.

Accelerated steps in the hallway were heard and the students got up from their chairs immediately. It was impossible for an attack to happen at Hogwarts, because the school was extremely protected, but you never know. Tom looked at his Slytherin companions, who were also on alert. Footsteps approached and then the doors opened with an audible thud.

 

"Professor Slughorn, Professor Slughorn ...!" He was a third-year student of Slytherin. "On the courtyard ... duel ..." He pointed out of the classroom, speaking breathlessly. "On the courtyard is having a duel!"

 

When the phrase was completed, the students rushed out to see, despite Slughorn's orders to stay. It was impossible to stop the students from good gossip, who soon left Slughorn behind. The hallways of Hogwarts were soon filled with students from other classes, all of them going in one direction, curious to see what was happening in the courtyard, ignoring the orders of their teachers.

 

As he came close to see, Tom saw a girl in strange clothes pointing her wand at a man who had an aura he knew from afar. Dark magic, this man was a dark magic user. The girl seemed to protect another person, a boy, who was lying down and seemed unconscious. She lifts a strong shield before casting the spell  _ Expulso _ on her opponent, who is thrown into the nearest wall. The sound is loud enough for everyone to hear and everyone gossips about what's going on. The girl limp to the unconscious boy, she kneels to try to check him.

Tom wonders if he should or not intervene in the situation. He basically wonders what he will gain if he helps the girl. Well, it was clear that it was the girl who was at a disadvantage.

 

In the end, he decides to go to the young woman's help. His decision has a bit of recklessness, but he assumes that being the best student in Hogwarts the attitude of helping a lady is expected from him. He also enjoys dueling and he will gain some more fame and Tom likes everyone to know that he is the best.

He goes toward the couple and as if by suggestion, the boy begins to scream, loud and horrible as if he were on the  _ Cruciatus Curse _ . Oh, Tom Riddle knew more than enough about this unforgivable curse. She cries and tries to calm the boy, who seems to be convulsing. Tom frowned, realizing that the girl was very focused on the well-being of her friend and ignored her surroundings and her opponent, who now stands to attack her.

 

He points his wand at the strange man in black robes. He tries to control himself, Tom knows he can’t use very dark spells with a crowd around him looking intently. He fights and takes into consideration that his opponent is good at dark magic, but he is better.

However, when a  _ Fiendfyre _ was thrown at him, Tom understood what kind of duel he was in. It's life or death. 

For an instant, he considered what these two did in this kind of attack, but his thoughts were cast aside as the girl stepped in front of him. Protecting him. And this is the moment when Professor Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet arrive, disarming the man and preventing the Fiendfyre.

 

His attentive eyes analyze the girl, realizing that there is blood in her strange clothes and that they were also dirty and torn. Her hair - if it can be considered hair - is more like a lion's mane. There are thin cuts on her face and she seems to be dizzy. She blinks several times as if she wanted to adjust her vision and before she can take a step, she faints, hitting the ground if he hadn't caught her at the last minute. Tom looks at her for a moment, before his attention turns to the boy screaming in agony. He realizes that there is a lightning bolt shaped scar on the boy's forehead that was healing and maybe this was the pain cause.

 

Tom holds the girl as he looks at Dumbledore and Dippet.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Pseudonaja textilis is the scientific name of the Oriental Brown Snake. The second most poisonous snake in the world.


	3. Bungarus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone who favored, commented and gave kudos. Thank you very much. 
> 
> Thank you Embossross , Seanymphe , LarkWilder, Biomecaria, Bbibbi, Jennieb89 , Danimals, Izaleana, aga1127 for the comments and the affection.
> 
> Remembering that English is not my mother tongue, but I worked hard, so I hope the text is readable to you. Let me know if the text is good. Or if I need to fix something

_ Chapter 2. Bungarus _ _ - _ _ Time travel _ _. _

**1943**

**** Hermione awoke, feeling her head throb. She placed a hand on her temple in a pacifying gesture to relieve her headache. As soon as her eyes adjust to the light, she rises abruptly as she recognizes where she is.

 

_ Hogwarts. I'am in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. _

She noticed that they changed her clothes and now she was dressed in flannel pants and a shirt - hospital pajamas - with the Hogwarts emblem on the left side of the shirt. Getting out of the bed, she looks around, a little surprised and startled to realize that nothing was destroyed as she remembered. The Wing was empty and clean.

 

_ The school was rebuilt. Did we win the war? Great Merlin, we won the war! _   The happiness she feels is extreme. Hermione never felt so happy. They had won the war, otherwise, she would be dead.

Without thinking twice, Hermione left the Hospital Wing, running through the Hogwarts corridors, down to the third floor, looking for her friends. The paintings move, hiding from her, sometimes gossiping about her and she doesn’t care. She doesn't care about her clothes or how her hair is or the fact that she is barefoot. All she wants is to see Harry, Ginny, Luna, and all the others. She wants to see Ron, wants to hug him and feel his arms around her. Kiss him again. They had finally declared their love for each other.

Hermione enters the first classroom that she  sees , opening the doors loudly in the hope of finding someone to tell her where her friends were. The smile on her face was slowly undone. The faces of several students turned to face her, they whisper as they look at her. Hermione frowned, shaking her head slightly, not believing what she was seeing. She didn’t know any of these people.

"What...?" Hermione doesn’t understand. What is going on? She asks herself.

 

Hermione puts her hand on her head, trying to appease the throbbing pain in her head that starts again, clouding her vision and echoing in her ears. Something is wrong. She turns and walks, bumping into someone.

"Forgive me, miss." The voice is masculine.

 

Hermione raises her gaze and exhales the breath that was trapped in her lungs. She was surprised at what she sees.

"Sirius ...?" Her eyes fill with tears.  _ This is Sirius Black?  He looks a lot like Sirius. _ The hair, the eyes, the face. He's just clearly younger.  

Hermione is confused and doesn’t notice the boy's glare. He looks at her from top to bottom, noticing the clothes she wears and the slight blush takes care of his cheeks.

"My lady, take this. I don’t think it's right for a lady to walk the Hogwarts corridors in such clothes." He hands to her the Slytherin robe, putting it on her shoulders. Hermione accepts, still very confused and surprised by how much this young man looks like Sirius Black to refuse, following every move he makes, with her eyes.

Galatea Merrythought class students lurk, putting their heads out of the classroom door, looking at the strange girl who has invaded the classroom with curiosity. The noises of Professor Galatea's shoes wake Hermione from her trance by the young man who looks so much like Sirius and in a swift movement, she turns and grabs the teacher's arms.

"Who won the war?" Hermione demanded, shaking the Professor Merrythought. Hermione's hair is wild, giving her a fierce appearance, the desperation in her voice is remarkable. Behind the teacher, the most handsome young man Hermione has ever seen, approaches in a very suspicious manner and in Slytherin robes.

 

Professor Merrythought's eyes widen in surprise when Hermione mentions the word 'war'.

"My dear, were you at the war?"  

 

"Yes!" Hermione replied quickly,  glad to have found someone who understood what she was saying. "So, did we win the war?"

Professor Merrythought's gaze softens and she comforts Hermione with one hand, making Hermione walk next to her.

"Mr. Black, you're late for class. Enter the classroom immediately and wait with the other students, I will accompany this young woman to the Hospital Wing."

In reality, Merrythought didn’t have to accompany Hermione, because the matron Olga Derwent was running down the corridors, looking for her missing patient. Hermione was advised to return with Mrs. Derwent to the Hospital Wing. Everyone was treating her like a fragile doll.

_ Where is Mrs. Poppy Pomfrey? _

Unaware, Hermione let herself be taken to the Hospital Wing, much more for the headache she felt. Before following the path, Hermione glanced over her shoulder, looking at the handsome boy who was looking at her curiously, beside him was the young man who looks like Sirius and another,  blond as ... Draco? 

Sitting on the bed in the Hospital Wing, Hermione waits, her mind working to understand what's going on.  _ Maybe it's my mind playing with me, it would not surprise her if she was going crazy and imagining all this. Not really.  _ In fact, she could be very well at Malfoy Manor, being tortured by Bellatrix and to relieve her despair, her mind is joking with her. This has happened to other people.

"My young lady, I am Olga Derwent, the matron of Hogwarts. I've been taking care of you." Derwent speaks calmly and passively as if Hermione were some kind of wild animal.

 

"Where is Mrs. Pomfrey?" Hermione dares  ask . She is afraid to know the answer.

 

"Who?" Mrs. Derwent frowned, confused.

 

Hermione narrows her eyes, swallowing hard. As she tries to ask a question, the doors of the Wing open, Dumbledore enters. When Hermione sees Dumbledore, her eyes open wildly, not believing the image she sees.

 

_ I’m crazy. _

"Headmaster Dumbledore?" She murmurs. Dumbledore stops, looking at her with those smart and slightly curious eyes.

"I think you mean 'teacher.' Do you know me, child? "

" Yes, it's me, Hermione Granger! You don’t remember me? "

"Child, how did you manage to overcome the school's Anti-Apparation spell? "

When Dumbledore narrows his eyes, Hermione freezes, she doesn’t understand at first what is happening. The pain in her head increases as the flashes of memory begin. She begins to remember what happened, in a reflective gesture, Hermione touches her neck, feeling the locket trapped.  Her breathing accelerates.

"Harry. Where's Harry?! "

"The boy who was accompanying you? "Dumbledore asks and Hermione confirms, suddenly very tense. "I am afraid to say that he was sent to St.Mungo's, our dear Mrs. Derwent could not help him from the kind of coma he entered. I must say I've never seen anything like it. "

But will he be okay?" She is frightened and Dumbledore noticed.

"That, young lady, only time can tell."

Dumbledore also notices how pale Hermione is and how his words seem to affect her. He narrows his eyes, trying to decide whether she is friend or foe and what the reasons for her abrupt arrival. His gaze falls to the locket that young lady uses and he feels the magic radiating from him. It is strong, suggestively protective and can be very well dark magic.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore says, attracting Hermione's attention, which seemed momentarily lost. "I'll give you some time to get yourself in order and I'll wait for you in my office. Headmaster Dippet is currently waiting for the Aurors, who are seriously interested in your arrival. "

" Aurors ...?" There's a little alarm in Hermione's voice.

"I dare say, my young lady, that your arrival with your friend warned the whole witch community. The Ministry of Magic certainly sent the Aurors to find out what happened," Dumbledore explained, watching her swallow.

Without much else to say, he nods before turning around and leaving. Hermione stands there, alone. She puts her hand to her mouth in a clear gesture of concern. Matron Derwent came shortly thereafter, carrying the neutral Hogwarts female uniform with none of the colors of the Hogwarts Houses.

Hermione is quick to dress, she has no time, she needs to talk to Dumbledore before the Aurors reach to her. Her hands are shaking, but she doesn’t really care. She needs to stay calm so she could get out of this situation. She is afraid of the question she will going to make to Mrs. Derwent. Her lower lip shakes, her heart beats hard against her chest and she takes a deep breath, her legs are like jelly, trembling with fear.

"What year are we?"

"1943, my dear." Mrs. Derwent replied, for a moment, the matron thought that the girl had a concussion or loss of memory.

The matron observes the expression of terror that takes care of Hermione's face, her eyes widen and her skin turns pale and for a moment, she thought the girl might faint. In the blink of an eye, Hermione grabs the locket trapped around her neck as if such an object was choking her. Without thinking twice, she tries to turn the Time-Turner's hourglass, but is locked. Impossible to turn.

It was an unthinkable act of despair. In her defense, she would never have turned the Time-Turner in her right mind, but in her situation, all she felt was the terror of being in the past.

Dumbledore. She needed to talk urgently with Dumbledore.

Mrs. Derwent makes sure that Hermione stays a little longer in the Hospital Wing so she calms down before she finds Dumbledore, but Hermione doesn't want to wait. She can't wait.

As she walks along the halls, Hermione thanked them for being empty. The students were still  in the classrooms or in the courtyard. She only stops when she stands face-to-face with the door of the Transfiguration teacher's room. She takes a deep breath and when she closes her fist to knock on the door, the door opens itself. Hermione enters slowly, with soft steps, looking at  Dumbledore, who was sitting at his desk, reading a book. She stops in the middle of the room, Dumbledore still has not taken his eyes off the book. Silence sets in and the only noise that can be heard is the ticking of the clock. At a glance, Hermione notices the crimson red of the bird's feathers. He flies around her before finally be on his perch. The size of a swan, the Phoenix opens his wings to her and nods in acknowledgment.

"Fawkes!" Hermione smiles, walking toward the perch. The last time she saw the Phoenix, Fawkes had left Hogwarts. The bird's black eyes watch her as he tilts his head to the side. Recognizing Hermione's pure heart, Fawkes lowers his head as if bowing, introducing himself.

 

Dumbledore watched with fascination Fawkes' interaction with the girl. He knew that Fawkes was an extremely intelligent bird, able to see  good and evil in people. Those who wanted to do good and those who wanted to do evil. Being a great judge. Then, watching Fawkes be so inclined to accept the young lady, removed the initial mistrust he had.

 

Dumbledore made a sound  in his throat, drawing Hermione and Fawkes's attention. Gently, he said:

 

"Lemon drops, Miss Granger?" He offered. She refuses.

 

Hermione takes a deep breath and runs her tongue through her dry lips. She does not know what to say to Dumbledore, but he needs to know that she is not an enemy.

 

"Headmaster Dumbledore... I mean, Professor Dumbledore." She begins, remembering that at this time, Dumbledore was a teacher. She glances at her hands clasped, without the courage to face him. "I'm not evil," she says. "I don't want to hurt you or someone. Not even my friend. What happened was an accident. We don’t know how we got here, we were running away and ... And we got caught- "

"This is a very interesting locket, Miss Granger. "

Dumbledore is closer to her. Slowly, Hermione raises her gaze to face him. She feels his fingers pick up the locket that’s stuck around her neck.

"A Time-Turner?" It's not really a question, it's more a statement. Dumbledore looks at her over her half-moon glasses, raising an eyebrow. "They are controlled by the Ministry of Magic. However, this seems a little different, isn’t it? "

"He's stuck. See?" Hermione tries to turn the Time-Turner's hourglass right in front of Dumbledore, but she can’t. "We didn’t want to use it. Merlin knows we did not want to go back fifty-five years into the past."

"If the Ministry of Magic knows  about the illegal use of a Time-Turner, you will go to Azkaban. If what you say - going back fifty-five years - is true, you and your friend will be in big trouble. "

 

"I need to help my friend and try to find a way to back home. "

 

"You'll have to be careful what you're doing here, young lady. Messing with the past can bring consequences for the future. But I suppose the future is not so safe, is it? Who was the man who attacked you? "

Hermione knew that Dumbledore probably had a notion of what was going on, but maybe he wanted to hear it with her words.

"I don’t know him. Not really," she says. "He is one of the many who defend the purity of blood and the death of Muggle-borns. What happened? "

"This man was accused of practicing the Dark Arts, with no scruples in using the unforgivable curses. He claims to be Edmund Pyrites. The Pyrites family denies any involvement with him, the Ministry of Magic believes he is a helper of Grindelwald, for his ideological similarities." Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "He was sent to Azkaban."

"Professor Dumbledore, please..." Her voice is suffocated by the tears she tries to contain. "Help us."

She feels Dumbledore's forefinger and thumb on her chin, raising her face so that he could see her eyes. In the brown color of her eyes, Dumbledore sees suffering, sadness, despair, and truth, plus a fierce glow of determination.

"I believe we had the honor of meeting in the future, I presume."

Hermione blinked, confirming. He runs his fingers back through the locket tied around her neck and narrows his eyes to the letters around the circle that holds the Time-Turner. In a swift movement, he hides the locket in her sweater, before the door opens. Hermione gasped as she saw Dippet with the two Aurors, a man, and a woman, respectively.

"Dumbledore, I see you're already with the intruder," Dippet says, looking closely at Hermione.

"I'm afraid there's a misunderstanding."

"Mr. Dumbledore, I'm Leeza Zabini and this is my partner, Ronan Travers." Hermione swallowed, as the dark-haired lady with almond-shaped eyes introduced herself. If she depended on the help of a Zabini and a Travers, Hermione would already be stepping on the entrance to Azkaban. "We were sent here to ascertain the magical disturbance that the arrival of two young people caused and obviously their involvement with the self-declared Edmund Pyrites, who is imprisoned in Azkaban for practicing the Dark Arts."

"This young lady" Dumbledore puts a hand on Hermione's shoulder "Was in contact with me for some time before her arrival from France. Grindelwald's recent attacks forced her and her friend to move and I offered shelter. In fact, they arrived earlier. I hoped they'd get to the Hogwarts Express next semester to start their sixth-grade classes, but the war seems to have caused an unexpected."

 

At every word of Dumbledore, Hermione's eyes burn, she tries to keep her composure and her tears, but she  cannot hold it and finds herself crying when realizing that Dumbledore is not only saving her life, but also Harry's.

 

"Forgive me, Dippet, I should have told you before. The disturbance we felt in magic was caused by a Portkey. "

 

"And the dark wizard who was with you?"  Leeza Zabini directed her question to Hermione.

 

"He attacked us. He tried to kill us. He grabbed us when we were about to be transported." It wasn’t a lie at all. In fact, this really happened.

"Why was he chasing you?" Travers asked.

Feeling a kind of judgment, Hermione knew she needed to give credible information that would satisfy the Aurors. She had to give a personal information that matched the reasons for being pursued, it wasn’t  the information that would change everything, yet it was special enough for her to have a sense of the game she was playing now.

"Because I'm a Muggle-born," she murmured. Her voice sounded cold.

Hermione noticed the slight wrinkling of Zabini's nose, just as she noticed she lifted her upper lip slightly. Disgusted. An expression of disgust. 

Corrupt. Corrupt Aurors. How in their right mind did they dare say defenders when they shared the same ideals that led the war? But not for a moment Hermione was fooled. She expected nothing less than a Zabini.  

Leeza Zabini glared at Hermione, ready to take any lie Hermione had said. Her gaze went to Dumbledore. He was an exceptional wizard and influential in the wizarding world. He is Albus Dumbledore. Who would accuse him of lying?

"I understand." She eased her gaze. "But we'll take the Portkey that was used. He will be taken to the Department of  Magical Transport and will be destroyed. "

 

Dumbledore removed his hands from Hermione's shoulders and headed toward his desk, from one of the drawers he took out a letter opener. Carefully, he handed Travers the Portkey.

"Was with her, as a  precaution, I kept with me until the gentlemen arrived." Dumbledore lied. Hermione noticed how Travers looked at the letter opener, hoping it was somehow special. Confirming, Travers turned to Zabini.

 

"Before you go, I would ask that the condition of our new students be kept confidential, " Dumbledore asked, aware of the exchange of looks between Zabini and Travers. "In the face of recent events and ideological positions, we wouldn’t want Miss Granger and her friend to suffer more. "

It wasn’t really a request and couldn’t even be considered a threat, it was more for warning that if the information  on the situation of Hermione and Harry leave this room and fall in the wrong mouths, he would know whom it spread.

 

"Of course, Mr. Dumbledore. Our duty is to protect. We understood the delicate situation. "

It was understood that the Ministry didn't want any more confusion than what was going on. Dumbledore knew that they would protect Hermione's "secret", because from the moment that people knew that Grindelwald's followers were hunting muggle-borns and apparating inside of the school, chaos would be installed. It would be impossible to withstand the pressure of the people and the Daily Prophet would love to spread such information. Completing with Myrtle Warren's death before the vacation, the students' parents certainly asked Hogwarts to be closed.

"I will accompany the Aurors, I hope I have the opportunity to talk to Miss Granger later. "Dippet says, leaving with the Aurors in the room of the Associate Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher.

Hermione smiled at Dippet before he left, noting that he did not look like a bad person. In fact, he could certainly remember someone's gentle grandfather, just by the way of speaking.

 

"Thank you," she murmurs to Dumbledore. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Surprising Dumbledore, she hugs him and Fawkes, on his perch, tilts his head to the side, watching.

"Would you like to stay for tea, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore offered. "Maybe we can talk more about what happened."

Hermione accepted with a smile, the first smile she has given since everything happened. A little quieter, she sits in one of the armchairs and watches as Dumbledore serves tea on a coffee table, Fawkes is distracted on his perch, wiping his crimson feathers with his beak.

He sits in the armchair in front of her, after giving her the tea-cup and serving some biscuits. It’s a cozy, warm feeling as if someone had put a blanket over her shoulders, the calm and peaceful environment she missed. Hermione knows that this feeling won’t last long, after taking a deep breath Hermione raises her gaze.

"I don’t know where to start and admit I'm afraid," she says. "Not afraid of you, far from it, but I'm afraid of what I'm doing. I'm scared to be in the past with my best friend at St. Mungo's and how that leaves us. If all the books I've read about time travel are correct, I'm afraid of what I should do or talk about. Certainly, it was not like in the third year when I used a Time-Turner to be able to watch  many classes as I could. It's a lot more complex than that. "

She pauses, taking a deep breath, watching Dumbledore's reaction. Hermione runs her tongue through her lips because they are dry again and it is also a pacifying gesture for the anxiety that begins to emerge in her.

 

"In the future... There will be a war. A war that many says is worse than this, which is happening now. A dark wizard will appear, probably more powerful than Grindelwald and everyone will be afraid to say his name. He shares an idea similar to Grindelwald's, which is the extermination of the Muggle-borns and the Muggles. He propagates the ideals of pure blood . Nothing can stop him, no Aurors, no laws, no Ministry, except my friend, who was sent to St Mungo's and I care a lot about him. Harry, perhaps, can be considered the heart of the whole problem and also, the only thing that prevents this wizard from taking control of the wizarding world. Before we got here, we were in what could be considered the final battle." Hermione clasps her hands together. "It was us or them. It was to fight for what we believed. We've seen friends battle with us, sacrifice themselves and die for what they believe."

 

She looks intensely at Dumbledore.

 

"We had to flee, hide and fight. Before we came here, I believe one of the followers of this dark wizard activated Time-Turner with some kind of spell I'm not familiar with. I ran, fleeing, into the Forbidden Forest, trying to find my friend Harry, when another follower pulled me through the hair. Harry went to my aid and Time-Turner fully activated and brought us into the Hogwarts courtyard and then, you know what happened."

 

Hermione tries to find the best words to continue.

 

"I know that if I say the name of this dark wizard, you can probably defeat him and it's probably the right thing to do, but ...What's going to happen when we get back? If I say, how much of what Harry and I know can change, Professor Dumbledore? "

 

"This is a delicate situation, Miss Granger. I certainly understand your affliction. In fact the idea of being able to avoid future conflicts is tempting, however, I dare say that a simple disturbance in the timeline is crucial to existence. Some believe that even interfering, whatever has to happen, will happen. And that nothing can change what is marked to happen, so is destiny. However, others say that if a time traveler moves a simple glass of water from the place, a chain of events will happen and may even threaten existence itself. I'm afraid I've never seen anyone travel so long into the past. "

 

"So you think I should let things happen, even though I have the power to change the future? "

 

"My advice to you, Miss Granger, is for you to be very careful about what you do here... Not only for the timeline, but also for you and your friend’s life. If the information that you are from the future falls on the wrong ears, you will be in great danger. Both, by the Ministry, and by a dark wizard. "

 

"You mean Grindelwald." Hermione deduces and Dumbledore confirms. "It's really annoying to have to run away from dark wizards."

 

She says seriously, but soon she opens a smile that turns into a laugh and against all seriousness of the conversation, Dumbledore also smiles, sharing the sense of humor. Hermione wipes a tear from her eyes, still laughing, but another soon fell as well and then another and another. Dumbledore had already stopped smiling, realizing that the girl was crying and hiding her crying in her laughter.

 

"I'm sorry," she says, wiping her tears with her hand. "It's just that it's so hard." She sniffs. "But I'm very happy to see you again."

 

Although not apparent, Dumbledore understands the suggestion behind the choice of words she uses. Of course, he will not question her for more information, but he notes the drastic change in the mood she has. Remembering something, Dumbledore gets up from his chair and goes to his desk, from his drawer he removes two wands and a purse.

 

"I believe this is yours and your friend's." He offers her the two wands and the bag.

 

"Our wands!" Hermione takes the wand that was Bellatrix's and Harry's. 

 

When she touches Bellatrix's wand, she feels the magic and also a flash of rejection. It's like the real owner, a crazy wand, snobbish, racist and as if to say 'do not touch me'. Hermione doesn’t know if she can give such adjectives to a wand, but there is no better way to describe it. Angry, she grabs the Bellatrix's wand, feeling the rejection, she begins to bend that wand that was already slightly curved, but Hermione bends her even more - dividing the wand in two. Finally, breaking it. Dumbledore watches the scene cautiously, watching closely the attitude of the young girl.

Hermione looks at Dumbledore.

 

"This wand shouldn’t be used by anyone. You have no idea what the real owner did with that wand." She tries to justify herself and Dumbledore accepts, still looking at Hermione as she tosses her wand into the fire. 

 

She sits down in the armchair again, this time touching Harry's wand.

 

"This is my friend's wand," she explains, running her finger through the wood.

 

Harry's wand responds to it as if it says 'I know you. It's a friend.' and responds to Hermione's magic by accepting her. It's not as if the wand was abandoning Harry, it's like he knew that at this point he needed to join forces with Hermione until his real owner arrived. Hermione does not think a wand has no understanding, on the contrary, if a wand does not understand what is happening, how would they choose their wizard? Is there a better example than the Bellatrix's wand, who hates and refuses to obey her? The wands understand in their own way and at this moment, Harry's wand understood that it was better to stay with Hermione and await the return of his owner. And luckily, the wand lets Hermione's magic run smoothly, serving as a filter and control.

 

Then Hermione picks up her beaded handbag, which had all the things needed for survival, as well as some books and some galleons. She breathed in relief.

 

"What happened to Harry?" She asked worriedly.

 

"You two collapsed after the battle in the courtyard and were unconscious for three days. Your consciousness was coming and going, but you responded to Mrs. Derwent's healing, your friend apparently went into a deep coma, which our beloved matron could not help. We prefer to send him to St. Mungo's. "

 

"Do you think he will recover? "

 

" I'm sure the mediwizards will do all they can to help him. "

 

" Will I be able to visit him?"

 

" As soon as possible. "

 

" Professor Dumbledore ... Can we stay here? You know, until we get a way back to our time? Hogwarts is our home and the only safe place we know. "

 

"Of course, my young lady. Hogwarts will be open for you and I will help you with everything I can. You've been to Hogwarts, haven’t you? "

 

" Gryffindor. "Hermione laughed, drinking some more tea and Dumbledore smiled to find someone from his House.

 

"I'm afraid to say, Miss. Granger, we're in the final exam for the vacation, it's fair to you to take part of them to keep up appearances. Tonight, at dinner, you will participate in the sorting of the Sorting Hat. A little unusual, a student transferred to participate in the classification shortly before the vacation and this will not go unnoticed, but this cannot be helped. "

 

"I understand, Professor. "

 

**o0o**

 

After talking with Dumbledore, Hermione felt a little more relieved and safe; Surely there was no better place than Hogwarts and close to Dumbledore, so she would find the answer of how to get back to her time - the future. Even if she had to go through all classes again, she is safer here than outside.

In fact, she is even quieter now, as she watches from above the setting sun between the clouds and the Forbidden Forest.

She walks toward the Hospital Wing because she remembers that she left the Slytherin robe that the boy so much like Sirius lent to her. A Slytherin loaning something? She could almost laugh at that thought if wasn’t true. But she supposed it had something to do with chivalry from the 1940s.

 

With her handbag in her hand on one side and holding and Harry's wand in the other, Hermione enters the Hospital Wing, Mrs. Derwent's eyes are expectant when she sees her. Nothing of Mrs. Pomfrey, she thinks with regret, but knows that for now, she has to get used to it. Mrs. Derwent smiles at her when she confirms that she will be a new Hogwarts student, Hermione tells the whole story that was invented by Dumbledore. Certainly, it’s better to keep a single version of the story invented. And Mrs. Derwent very sweetly says she is sorry for Hermione and her friend were coming from the war, saying something like  _ 'People are not as they used to be. You see, the whole world is at war. What is the need for wars? _ '. It's something that all doctors, Muggles or Wizards should think about.

 

Oh, if she knew that in the future would have a worse war. Hermione thinks.

 

Hermione asks her for the Slytherin robe that she left here and with a smile, the matron gives to her the robe, but she has little time to pay attention to Hermione, because two first-year Hufflepuff students came in, one of them sure was successful hit by a Pimple Jinx or in other words, Furnunculus. As they pass by, their eyes widen, something between frightened and admired. _ I'm probably the school gossip. _

She smiles at them because they look cute with that childish hairstyle of the 1940s and now, they are delighted with her.

 

With the Slytherin robe in her hands and wand, Hermione throws a Scourgify, not because the robe is dirty, but she thinks it is polite to deliver the clean robea and all she the least wants is enmity, especially with the Slytherins. These, who love a good mess. If she wants her and Harry's existence to remain neutral in the past, she has to avoid being the center of intrigue. After the robe is clean, she folds it.

She doesn't know where she'll find the boy and she certainly won’t go to the dungeons to wait, Merlin free her to be near of this place. However, Hermione is certain that at some point she will find him.

 

Now, walking in the halls of Hogwarts, students are looking at her as they are on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. They whisper and Hermione know it's about her, the voices in her back. She got used to it, either because it was a mudblood as the Slytherins loved to say or because of the adventures she had with Ron and Harry. Somehow it's strange to experience the style of the '40s, it does not really fit on her. The boys with gel hair and the girls with a haircut would summarize in a pin-up style. All of them with an air of which they were perfect. It just does not fit on her.

 

For her luck or misfortune, she finds the boy who was looking outside the door of the Great Hall with a group of Slytherins talking, probably all from the same year.

 

_ Don’t go there. Don’t go there. Don’t go there _ . She repeats like a mantra in her head. Never walk alone towards a group of Slytherins, but there is a lot of Gryffindor courage in her to be able to ignore the advice of her own mind.

 

He has his back to her as she walks toward him. A blond boy soon looks at her, narrowing his eyes at her sudden approach. When she's close enough, she makes a sound with her throat, trying to attract attention. I do not need to talk to others, I just need to hand over the robe.

 

"Hello, princess, what can I do for you?" The blond takes a step toward her, a side smile on his face.

 

"Rosier, please don’t scare the girl." The most handsome boy she saw says. She vaguely remembers him.

 

The blonde, Rosier, snorts and retracts a few steps, raising his hands.

 

"Yes?" The boy who looks like Sirius now turns to her, staring at her intently.

 

Hermione takes a deep breath, she is more mature than that. Wiser than playing with teenagers.

 

"I ... I’d like to give you this. Thank you for helping me earlier. I appreciate it," she says, looking into his eyes and handing over the robe. It's just strange how much he looks like Sirius.

 

"You're welcome." He smiles, in a flirtatious way almost as if flirting with her. "Alphard Black, at your service." Before she can stop him, he is taking her hand and kissing the back of her hand.

 

All his friends laugh, watching him with joy, how he flirted with the school freshman. All but one. He rolls his eyes and watches closely how quickly she pulls the hand out of Alphard's lips.

 

"Forgive my friends, they do not know how to behave," another boy says, putting his hand on her shoulder. He has dark brown curly hair with black eyes. "Allow me to introduce them: This is Alphard Black, as you already know."

 

He points to the boy who resembles Sirius and nods in acknowledgment, his hair going all the way down the neck, giving a rebellious style and breaking the style suitable 40s.

 

"This is Angus Nott." He points to a boy who has wavy hair and cut, split aside and with a caramel tone. Having freckles on the nose and a lateral smile. A smart and malicious look underneath the eyelashes.

 

_ It can’t be.  _

 

"This is John Avery." He points to a green-eyed blonde, who smiles confidently at her.

 

_ It can’t be. _

 

"This is Polumetis Mulciber." He points at the shorter boy than the others, with hair that was a medium-term between blond and brown and who was scratching the back of his head like he was awkward.

 

_ It can’t be _ .

 

"This is Adrien Rosier." He points to the boy who called her 'princess.'

 

_ It can’t be. _

 

" I'm Lestrange." He points to himself. "Radalphus Lestrange II"

 

It can’t be! 

 

She wants to get away from him and clean her shoulder like he has some contagious disease, but she just can't. She's paralyzed.

 

"Is it true that you were fighting in the war?" The handsome boy asks, cutting off Lestrange's introduction. Hermione only has the strength to confirm with her head. "Oh!"

 

"This is your savior, he helped you in the battle in the courtyard." Lestrange smiled while pointing to a handsome boy.

 

"Will you attend Hogwarts?" He asks, and again Hermione nods. He cannot be whom I think he is. "How curious a transferred student," he observes. "Anyway, what we saw in the courtyard was impressive. I hope that you will be selected in Slytherin, we will certainly welcome you. "

 

It can’t be! When he spoke, all Hermione could imagine were snakes looking at her with a sly grin on face and piercing eyes.

 

"Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself. Tom Riddle, at your service." He puts his hand on his chest and bends over, looking at her from under his eyelashes with a piercing look. Never really bowing.

 

She's going to vomit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bungarus candidus also known as Krait Malasiana, is the third most poisonous snake in the world.


	4. Dendroaspis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I would like to thank everyone who favored, commented and gave kudos. Thank you very much.
> 
> -Thank you aga1127 , Bookgirl (ariadragoncrest) , sikaloolala, Pandorasora, Kaja for the comments and the affection.
> 
> -Remembering that English is not my mother tongue, but I worked hard, so I hope the text is readable to you. Let me know if the text is good or if I need to fix something

 

_Chapter 3. Dendroaspis _\- _The lion or the snake._

Her legs are trembling, her throat is dry, her heart pounding against her chest, her lungs seem to ache with every intake of air and her eyes burn with the tears that are beginning to form. Hermione thinks she's at the beginning of a panic attack or hyperventilating.

Oh, she remembers him now. The boy who tried to help her and Harry. Oh, she remembers. Remembers him fighting and how she protected him from Fiendfyre. She had no idea who he was at the time, but if she knew... If she knew that he was the cause of so much suffering and terror that tormented her and her friends, if she knew he was a murderer and a terrorist, if she knew that he was the future Dark Lord, if she knew he was Lord Voldemort ...

She wouldn’t have thought twice before letting the Fiendfyre hit him. How ironic it would be to see the Dark Lord being charred by one of his Death Eaters. Oh, she would have liked it. Merlin knows she would. She would dance in his ashes, she would set off fireworks like the Wildfired Whiz-Bangs, drink a barrel of mead and one of  Firewhisky and laugh like a drunk. Merlin, she would swim naked on the Great Lake. All this to commemorate the death of the Dark Lord. But no, she'd saved him, put herself in front of him to protect him from the attack.

In her defense, she thought it would have been a worthy act, to sacrifice herself and protect a student who tried to help her and Harry - even if this student didn’t know what he was getting into. It was the right thing to do and Hermione didn’t want to see any more deaths.

_ It would have been the right thing to do... if this person were not Voldemort himself! _

Hermione kicked herself mentally. If she had let the  _ Fiendfyre _ hit him, then all the  problems of the wizarding world would have been solved. Even if it was against the advice Dumbledore gave to her, even if his early death changed all the trajectory of time, for a moment the idea was tempting for her.

"Miss ...?" He tilts his head to the side, his voice sweet and with eyebrows united, as if he were worried.

Hermione so far said nothing, she was petrified in her place, still trying to absorb the idea of being face to face with young Voldemort and his most loyal followers. _This can only be karma_. A rebellious tear trickles down her face and she dries quickly, trying to compose herself to face him. For everyone present, the girl's countenance and pallor did not go unnoticed, not even the tear. 

 

"Forgive me," she says, swallowing. "I remembered some memories of the fight."

"Oh, it's understandable that you're scared." Riddle puts his hand on her shoulder, lowering slightly, so that he is at the height of her eyes. Hermione's eyes widen at the sight of him so close. Not a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy she can see, all she sees is the pale,  noiseless , red-eyed monster with a snake face.

His  hand is on her shoulder and Hermione think that soon she has a chance to take a shower, she will rub her shoulder for at least thirty minutes.

"But I'm sure you're safe at Hogwarts." He smiles, trying to convey security.

"Uh ... uh, thank you." She murmurs.

 

Their attention is drawn to two more boys who are approaching. One was blond hair like  Draco, who looked almost white, with green eyes and white skin, walked serenely and yet, arrogant. His lips were strangely rosy as if he had passed lipstick, but Hermione supposed it was only the color contrast with his skin. The other had a rather long face, dark hair as well as his eyebrows, his nose seemed a little crooked, as if he had broken and was never healed right or he never bothered to go see a mediwitch, however, he didn’t seem to care. He was a little more corpulent and strangely familiar.

When they finally got close enough, they stopped and looked at her with interest.

"This is Abraxas Malfoy." Riddle introduced him. Abraxas looked at her from above, this being the only trace of recognition of her presence he gave.

Obviously, he was a Malfoy, such physical appearance could only come from this family.

"And this is Antonin Dolohov."

Hermione swore that the tea and biscuits she had eaten with Dumbledore were coming back from her throat to her mouth.  _ Oh, it's karma _ . Her stomach churned and she was sweating cold.

 

_ Where did she and Harry get in? They were in the middle of the snakes, literally. Draco and his gang were nothing compared to this, they were small snakes like those of gardens, without poison and only threatening. Now, these? These were the real dangerous snake, najas, poisonous and with their King guiding them _ .  

"This is Miss ...?" Riddle stop, staring at her, remembering that at no time had she given her name.

 

"Granger. Hermione Granger. "Her voice is thin and low.

 

Before anything else can happen, the whole group of Slytherins stiffens  in the presence of Dumbledore.

 

"Professor Dumbledore." Riddle is the first to speak, putting his hands behind his back, straightening his posture and raising his head in a very perfect way.

 

Dumbledore came as her savior and for a moment, Hermione thinks she will cry like a five-year-old girl because he came to rescue her from this group of snakes.

 

"Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore greets, looking over his half-moon glasses. "I believe, gentlemen, that it is time for dinner. I recommend that you join your housemates. "

"Of course, Professor. We were just introducing ourselves to Miss Granger. She was returning the robe Alphard lent this morning.” Lestrange speaks and as if to confirm, Alphard swings a little the robe in his hands.

 

"It's true, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione confirms, much more to ensure her safety than theirs. Oh, Merlin saves her from being a target of this gang.

"Very well." Dumbledore accepts such an answer, releasing the Slytherins who soon enter the Great Hall. "The Sorting Hat awaits you, Miss Granger." Dumbledore smiles slightly, before entering the Great Hall as well.

Hermione is standing there, staring at the doors to the Great Hall. She admits that she’s a little anxious and so she takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. When she enters the Great Hall, the whole conversation dies and an awkward silence remains. She is the target of curious looks and as she walks toward the stool placed at the head of the Great Hall, there is a nostalgic feeling in her. The four tables representing the four great Houses of Hogwarts, the ceiling with floating candles and enchanted to look like the night sky with stars, the teachers' table, and Headmaster, ghosts and portraits. For a moment in her life, Hermione thought she would lose all this.

 

She walks more confidently, feeling more confident than the eleven-year-old girl who has walked - will walk - through this Hall. She is more mature and wise, so when she climbs the few steps to reach the Sorting Hat, she smiles at Dumbledore, who holds the Hat.

She sits on the stool, Hermione is facing the whole Hall, to all the students who are silent and look intently at her. She takes another deep breath before she feels the Hat being put on her head. For some reason, it seems heavier, but it's probably her impression and it's also a result of her concern.

_ Hello, child. _ The Hat's voice resounds in her mind. _ Have we met before? Hm ... What do we have here? A paradox is you? Interesting. _ At the Hat's comment, Hermione fought against the Hat invasion in her mind.  _ Relax, child. Let me in. _

_ Just put me in Gryffindor _ . She orders.

_ It's not that simple. Let me analyze you. _

She is reluctant to let the Hat in and know everything that has happened to her, but it seems inevitable, so,  gradually, she lets the Hat in and know all the traits of her personality and how the events she passed, modified her.

_ Hm ... I see. You are loyal as those of Hufflepuff House to those who can win your heart. It is dedicated, works hard and has the thought that everyone is your equal, regardless of race. The Hufflepuff House would welcome you. Helga would certainly be happy to have someone like you at her house. _

_ However, your brain is fascinating. You are extremely intelligent, have good reasoning and it’s quite logical. Independent and an insightful observer, besides having intellectual curiosity. The Ravenclaw House would accept you for who you are. Rowena would be amazed by you. But you're not tolerant and patient as you think you are. _

"It's a Hatstall," someone murmured.

"Are you sure?"

"It's been four and a half minutes." Another responds.

_ There’s your fear _ . The Hat spoke confidently and Hermione swallowed.   _ The Slytherin House. You mustn't fear them, not really. Against everything you think, you really do have the traits that belong to this House. The Slytherin House values ambition, cunning, intelligence, and determination. These traits you’ve already presented. The House also values self-preservation and you have also presented this trait, haven’t you? You don’t expect to act in your defense and it’s also a little judicious. But are you smart enough to survive in the Snake House? Will you be able to manipulate people so you can get out unharmed? Remember that everyone there shares the same traits as you and they will test you to see how far you are able to go and if you will able to settle down in that House. _

_ Oh, please don’t! They will kill me if I enter this House _ . 

 

Salazar Slytherin himself would rise from his grave if he knew that a Muggleborn was in his House. But all Hermione heard was Hat's somber laughter.

"It's a real Hatstall," one student confirmed. "It's been six minutes."

_ Oh, Gryffindor. Brave, adventurous, fearless, stubborn and competitive. This is the Gryffindor House. Godric Gryffindor himself would be impressed by your courage. You are fearless and face your fears and enemies for what you believe, you are faithful to your friends and although sometimes go against their actions, you do not abandon them. You’re stubborn when you think you are right and you are competitive, always willing to win first place. And though you say you're a rule-lover, you're not afraid to break them if you have to. _

"It's seven minutes already." Another student said, impressed.

_ Which house should I put you in? Hm ... _

_ Gryffindor! _ Hermione ordered, the Hat laughed at her command.

_ Once was, maybe. Now I know you, Hermione Granger. Your attitudes have changed, you hesitate between being merciful or being merciless. Sometimes you question yourself and seems to select those who should receive your kindness and your effort. Despite your loyal manner, you don’t belong to Hufflepuff House. _

 

_ Ah, here's the problem.  _ The Hat noticed _. I can put you in any of the three remaining Houses. You certainly have the traits of the Ravenclaw House, this House suits you well. With your intelligence, your thirst for knowledge and wisdom,  you're brilliant for Ravenclaw House, though ... _

_ You would die for those you love and would fight until your last breath for them, you already sacrificed for them and would do it  _ _ again, despite _ _ fear, you face your enemies and sacrifice yourself for a greater good. Courageous is you. But _ _... _

_ What you went through, the things you had to do, changed you a little. You still question your attitudes, but don’t think twice about what has to be done to achieve what you want.  _ _ You would kill for those you love, you will manipulate your enemies if necessary. You are ambitious and thirsting for recognition. You want people to know who you are and that's why you stand out.  Determined is you. _

_ Be careful what you do here, paradox. _ The Hat alert.

 

_ Your heart is and always will be - _

" **\- Gryffindor!"** The Sorting Hat, with a powerful voice, announced.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension in the Great Hall was palpable and silent. Everyone looked at her and even a single sip of pumpkin juice drunk by someone could be heard. She felt the Sorting Hat being pulled from her head and she looked at Dumbledore, who smiled at her and then, the Gryffindor’s table burst into applause and smiles. It was like her first year, Hermione thought.

Her gray clothes turned into the colors of Gryffindor House, with just a snap of Dumbledore's fingers.

More relieved and confident, Hermione walked toward her table. They made room for her to sit down and she had to restrain a smile, for sure enough, she was happier to be among Gryffindors.

"Come on, you can pass twenty galleons each." A tall, strong, red-haired boy spoke. He had green eyes and freckles on his nose and an extrovert air around him. To Hermione, he reminded her of the brothers Fred and George.

"Argh, you're extorting me." Another red-haired boy complained. This one had lighter hair and bright brown eyes, but what scared Hermione was just as how much like Ron, he was.

She couldn’t control herself and all she saw was Ron. Her heart squeezed and she looked at him, fascinated.

"Well, well, if you didn't keep betting with him, he wouldn't be taking your money." The girl sitting in front of Hermione, said. She had light brown hair, green eyes, and lips with lipstick. "I'm Enid." The girl reached out, greeting Hermione.

"Hermione." 

"Welcome to Gryffindor House. This is Bilius Weasley." She pointed to the red-haired boy sitting next to Hermione. "And this is Ectur Prewett." She gestured to the red-haired boy who looks like Ron. "Don't mind with them. They were betting on which House you would enter. "

"It was a fair bet. You're a Hatstall, after three minutes the bets have been made." Bilius shrugged, talking cheerfully to Hermione. "Well then?"

"What?" Hermione tried not to laugh at the look of anticipation on Bilius's face.

"Which House the Hat was in doubt? After what I saw in the courtyard, I knew you would be in Gryffindor, but our Ectur here thought you would be in Hufflepuff. "

Hermione looked at Ectur and found herself blushing,  because he reminded her of Ron. But didn’t escape from Hermione that she was possibly talking to the father of the future Mrs. Weasley. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, trying to keep her bad thoughts away

"He was in doubt between Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor," she said solemnly.

"Thank God," Ectur murmured. "Glad you didn’t get into Slytherin."

"That's true," Enid confirmed.

"Look at them," Bilius said, and inconveniently Ectur, Enid, Bilius, and Hermione looked at the Slytherin House table. "They probably take poison for breakfast."

Enid tried to hide her laughter before she spat out her pumpkin juice and in a very delicate way, she wiped the corners of her mouth.

"The basic rule of Hogwarts: Don’t trust a Slytherin," Ectur told Hermione, as advice to the school freshman.

"I'm truly surprised you decided to come to Hogwarts after what happened-"

"Bilius, no!" Enid censored. "Don’t scare the girl."

"What? What happened? "Hermione asked, now very curious about the abrupt change in the conversation.

Both, Ectur and Enid, were silent and looked at their food plates.

"Well, I mean, it's not to be frightened." Bilius tries to undo the conversation.

"What is it?" Hermione demanded softly.

"We are really surprised that someone wants to come to Hogwarts after the attacks and death of Myrtle Warren. She was from the Ravenclaw House." Enid explained, more gently and politely. Trying to appease some supposed terror the fledgling might have. "For a moment, we all thought the school would have been closed. But apparently, it's been solved. So you can stay calm. "

As Enid spoke, Hermione lowered her head and looked at her empty plate, remembering why she was here. For a moment she forgot, seeing the students' entrenchment at the Gryffindor table at dinner, being in the Great Hall, smelling the food and looking at Enid, Ectur, and Bilius, made her feel comfortable. When all she saw was Fred and George, Ron and Ginny.

The image of Fred and George, of Ginny and of Ron... They undid in her mind and now she could truly see Bilius, Enid and Ectur. The truth fell like a brick on Hermione's head. These weren’t her friends, of her generation, they were their ancestors. The future parents and grandparents of her friends.

When Enid quotes Myrtle Warren, the Moaning Myrtle, Hermione shudders. Now she understands where she is and whom she talked to at the entrance to the Great Hall. Oh, the real snakes. The real killer of Myrtle. He was there, a few feet away from her.

She didn’t resist and looked at the Slytherin table, Enid's voice, Ectur, and Bilius stayed away and she focused on Lord Voldemort.

Oh, it’s was weird. It’s certainly was strange to watch the young Dark Lord eating. He was educated and ate quietly, had posture, seemed to know about etiquette and made a face every time he saw someone eating and talking at the same time.

He was pale, really pale, as if his skin could not get a tan. His skin was perfect, his lips were full of the right size, his nose was perfect, his eyebrows were a little down, his hair was black as the color of a crow and his eyes were peculiar ... They were extremely green, which could be black if he were in the dark or could be gray if he were in the light. He is perfect, his beauty is perfect and for a moment Hermione asks herself if his beauty is an effect of the potion his mother gave to his father.

 

But Hermione can see through his beauty, because she knows what he's capable of. Then she can feel the small gloomy air around him and can see that he has a few dark circles under his eyes as if he had not slept right or was a trace of his pallor, but she knows better, it's the Horcrux. He has already made a Horcrux. Hermione's blood runs cold through her veins. Oh, he already managed to oust Hagrid. Oh, he's already a _ killer _ , a  _ murderer _ . Hagrid...

 

As if he felt himself being watched, Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord, raised is gaze and looks directly at her and Hermione flees from his gaze quickly.

Now she's sure she needs to get out of here. She needs to find a way to get her and Harry back to their time.

Decided, she picks up some food and puts it on her plate.  

**o0o**

At first, Tom Riddle observed her interacting with his servants and housemates. He noticed the look of terror she had, the pallor that her skin had become and how she struggled against tears. None of this went unnoticed by him. He is odd that her behavior and the fact that she wanted the smallest possible contact.

 

His servants were trying to attract her, trying to impress her with their surnames, as they did with all the other girls. She was one more and they were playing with her. She was a trapped mouse and they were the snakes ready to devour her. 

He remembers her in this morning, when she seemed to be a schizophrenic girl, walking barefoot in hospital pajamas and with wild hair. Altered and nervous.

 

Ordinary people have the need to have their psychological in good condition, but any unusual experience break their minds very easily and they develop some kind of panic, is what happens to this girl. She developed some sort of post-trauma and how does he know that? He knows this from the moment her voice sounds thin and low, when she says she remembers a few moments of the fight. Tom almost rolls his eyes.

To keep up appearances, he smiles. Tom knows that he doesn’t feel like most people, sometimes he thinks he is unable to feel any emotion. As if he were hollow, empty and nothing and no one could awaken any feeling in him that was not contempt.  And it's not like he needs to feel anything beyond that.

As a child, he was unable to convey any emotion, being apathetic and having nothing of charisma, but he  has been  smart enough to understand since childhood as the world and people work.

 

Oh, it was so simple. He was an attentive, insightful observer and recorded every expression people made to convey some emotion. Happiness, anger, anxiety, fear, guilt, sadness ... He decorated each of them. He discovered how easy it is to manipulate people. Say in their ears sweet words, praise them, make them trust you, be patient and then, they start talking.  Telling their fears, their secrets, and when they least expect it, he has already applied the bite. Like a snake, he  slowly squeezes until it breaks their bones. Soon, each of these people is in the palm of his hand. They barely realize that they've given it to him, all the weapons so he can destroy them.

 

He puts his hand on her shoulder. Touch. In order to pass credibility, touch is necessary, eye contact is necessary, it masks the lies and the disguise that he really doesn't care that she is well. The mask he puts on his face, imitating an almost genuine expression of  condescending , is for her. It's the first step for her to open up to him and tell him everything he wants to know.

 

He's a curious one from birth. Tom doesn’t like not knowing who the people around him are. Hogwarts is his castle and here he is King. And a king needs to know who his subjects are. If she really was in the war, as she stated, then he wants to know more. He wants to know why her arrival had such a disturbance in magic that all wizards and witches felt. He wants to know why she was being hunted. Well, it was no less than fair that she  gives him answers, after all, he risked himself - well, that's half truth - to save her and her friend, brother or whatever.

He also remembers that she stood in front of the Fiendfyre to protect him. Unnecessary , he admits. He could save himself. But he promises that her actions will not be taken in vain. He'll be a little nicer to her and if she's interesting enough, he'll give her a favor. After all, a Lord, a King, is benevolent to those who show loyalty.

Then Dumbledore arrives. The old man sucks.  

Dumbledore is what can be considered the stone in his shoe. He managed to get all the teachers and even the Headmaster to fall in on his good graces, except for Dumbledore. The old madman is like a shadow behind him, always doubting his words and attitudes - and rightly so. - but it's really annoying and annoying to have to deal with the famous and illustrious Albus Dumbledore. The only person who knows his past, who knows that he lives in an orphanage and the guilty one of him having to go on every summer vacation to that rotten and filthy place he hates. He would like to burn that place with all those people inside. He hates that place and those people and what they do to him.

Ah, but his revenge is slow and deadly.

With a nod, Tom walks to the Great Hall. Malfoy, Dolohov, Mulciber, Rosier, Avery, Lestrange, Nott and Black walk behind him like a bunch of puppies. If he tells them to lie down and roll, they can all do it.

_ Oh, the fear _ . Tom yawns.   _ What people don’t do when they feel scared when they feel threatened.  It's really funny. _

They walk and the girls sigh, laugh like hyenas, blush and blink wildly. It's disgusting. Tom Riddle, smiled at them. Girls can be really annoying. His group is famous among the girls and envied by the boys. Good-looking, that's what the girls say. Each of them is a kind of ideal man, they sigh. Sportsman, intellectual, musician, flirt, charismatic, introvert, cheeky and Tom Riddle, ah ... Tom Riddle is perfect. Because it’s a bit of each of these things in the perfect measure.

It really does have the advantage of being the best, he observes. While walking, people make way for him, the Slytherins make room for him to sit at the table, looking at him, admiring, cautious, envious. Hogwarts is his castle and here he is King.

And then, she enters. Tom realizes that her attitude has changed. From a frightened little girl to a confident woman. The Great Hall is silent for the arrival of the school freshman. Everyone is curious about the girl who fought in the courtyard.

He notices a deep breath she takes before she has the Hat on her head. He stood there, watching her closely. If you looked quickly, you would think she was ordinary, but if you stopped to notice her, you would see that she was even a little pretty. Her hair was really full and uncontrollable - at first, he thought her hair was that way because of the battle - but no, her hair was like the mane of a lion. Her eyes were brown, she had a few freckles on her nose, her lips were thin, her eyebrows were low as if she was almost always serious.

He thought it would be quick, but it wasn’t like that.

Come to Slytherin.  If she were selected for Slytherin House, she would be under his control. It would make his work a thousand times easier. And then, he waited and waited.

"It's a Hatstall," someone murmured at Slytherin's table and he cast a somber look on the person.

When it was five minutes, Tom was already impatient and the girl started and went into his dark side. In less than a day, the girl became the feel of the school. When it was six minutes, he locked his jaw.

_ What’s so different about her?  _ He asked himself, suspiciously. He promised himself that he would pay due attention to the girl.

When she hit the seven-minute mark, it was indisputable that she was a Hatstall. Tom remembers when he had the Hat was placed on his head. It didn’t take long, the Hat knew what he was capable of, how much magic he had. Soon he was selected for Slytherin.

You see, Slytherin is really his House. It's his home.  **He’s the Prince of Slytherin. The Heir.**

**"-Gryffindor!"** The Hat announced and all the appreciation he felt for the girl collapsed.

_ Really?The House of Idiots? _ He snorted. Well, he's still going to keep an eye on her, but now she's nothing but a disgus- He notices the look she gives Dumbledore as if seeking approval. How curious. In Gryffindor House, she's right under Dumbledore's wing. That look Dumbledore gave her, he knows.

**Dumbledore knows something.**

_ Curious. _

He eats patiently, tasting his meal. To each of the boys who eat with their mouths open or talk while eating, he makes a face. Tom rolls his eyes mentally.  _ These people who are Daddy's little children and don’t know the least of how to behave at the table. _ It's really disgusting and gives him the urge to vomit.

Tom Riddle feels. He feels when someone’s looking at him. It's like some kind of sixth sense he's developed. A way of saying he's always conscious of what's going on around him. When he looks up, she is looking at him. He would smile at her, throw the bait for her to catch, the girls always fall for this, but she quickly flees from his gaze. Ignoring him.

His jaw locks and his teeth grind with the pressure he applies. His eyes narrow.

The Slytherin students walk back to the dungeons, to retire for the night. The youthful air between them is noticeable. But it's only between them. The Slytherins don’t get along very well with people who are from outside, newcomers have a certain type of  _ 'smell' _ . Slytherins only fight for themselves.

 

But as soon as everyone passes through the stone wall, the environment changes. The Slytherins are not overtly cheerful and extroverted, but it's really amazing how everyone changes from the moment they are in the Common Room.

 

And it's changed is because of Riddle.

Malfoy, Lestrange, Avery, Black, Mulciber, Nott, and Rosier spread out in the Common Room as they watch Riddle sit in his favorite armchair near the fireplace. The combination of the darkness and the low light that the fireplace provided was perfect to make that boy more terrifying than he was. At Slytherin House, there is a very obvious hierarchy and Riddle is at the top.

Slytherin's regular students talk softly, respecting the space of Riddle's gang.

Malfoy sits down on one of the sofas after taking his robe off the Slytherin and calmly reads his book. Although it seems that he is focused on reading, it's the contrary, he is very attentive to what is happening around him and the tension in the Common Room.

Black lies on one of the sofas, loosening his tie and winding the sleeves of his shirt. He looks at the green lamp as if it were extremely interesting. Dolohov is sitting on the arm of the sofa that Alphard is lying on.

Nott and Mulciber are seated, starting a wizard chess match and looking through the windows of the Common Room, Hogwarts lake.

Avery and Rosier are quietly standing, talking to each other.

And Lestrange is walking from one side to another, like a caged animal.

"A waste of time," Lestrange complains. "The freshman is a stupid Gryffindor."

Avery and Rosier exchange glances and smiles at Lestrange's comment.

"Calm down, some Gryffindors are good," Avery says.

"Even if it's to kill time." Rosier complete.

Nott and Mulciber laugh, Dolohov shakes his head, but there is a smile on his face. Alphard is silent, still contemplating the chandelier of dark green color. Malfoy sighs and rolls his eyes before continuing to read.

The Knights wait until the Common Room is being occupied only by them. Some Slytherin girls say goodbye with a silly smile to Avery, Rosier, and Lestrange, others talk to Dolohov. Mulciber and Nott are undisturbed while playing chess. Riddle, well, no one dares to talk to Riddle when he's thinking. For girls, it's like observing a beautiful painting from some museum - see, but not touch. And now, the Nines are alone in the Common Room.

"Lestrange." It's Riddle's voice that sounded.

They freeze immediately when they hear Riddle's voice. Oh, they make mistakes. They made a terrible mistake. Alphard quickly adjusts his position, sitting on the sofa, Malfoy stops reading and sits more upright, Nott and Mulciber left their chess game, Dolohov is more attentive now and Avery, Rosier, and Lestrange also sit.

Their breathing becomes shallow as they wait for what Riddle will say. They still remember the terrible mistake they made in the first year. They joined up against Riddle and questioned his blood status, mocked him and cursed him, and even today they have nightmares with the remembrance of the childish Riddle version when he took revenge. That ... That wasn’t normal. How could a little boy invoke so much fear in other little boys?

That pale, handsome little boy with green eyes and perfect face ... With a dark smile on his face, with his wrath and strong magic around him. A magic so strong they all felt. It was a living thing.  That smile he gave while they screamed and it looked like their bodies were on fire.

If one day they questioned what Riddle was, they never did anymore. Especially now.

"Yes, my lord," Lestrange says in a low, submissive voice.

"Your father has contacts in the Ministry, doesn’t he?" Riddle asks, his voice calm, focused. He seems quiet and serious.

"Yes, my lord."

"Wouldn't it be nice if he could get us some information about what happened to our new student ... What's her name? Oh, yes, Miss Granger." Tom rested his head on his hand, which was clenched into fist and his arm resting on the arm of the armchair.

"I can try to talk to my father and try to get the information," Lestrange responds quickly, almost stammering. Tom frowned a little.

" Are you going to try it, Lestrange? "There is a somber tone in Tom's voice, indicating the change of temper. Tom swung his wand lightly, playing with her with his fingers. It’s a trap for Lestrange, depending on what Lestrange respond, he knows what will happen to him.

"I mean I'll get the information," Lestrange corrected himself quickly.

" My? "Tom insinuates.

"My lord," Lestrange corrected himself again.

"Great!" The change in Tom's voice is immediate. "Isn't it wonderful when we all cooperate, huh?" Tom smiles. It's terrifying.

**It's just terrifying.**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dendroaspis polylepis is also known as Black Mamba. The fourth most poisonous snake in the world.


	5. Notechis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank Cfps3000, aga1127, A, CHRain, sikaloolala, Jennieb89, mulbr, PrincessRosalean, Pandorasora, Kaja for the comments and the affection. And all the others for reading and following the story and for the Kudos.
> 
> Thank you for understanding that English is not my native language and for being understandable with some errors in the text.
> 
> I mean, I'm working hard to improve the writing, but with the help of you telling me where the error in the text is, it will make it easier and I'll correct it and try not to make the same mistake. Improving the chapter and making the reading experience better. So, let me know if the chapter is good or if it needs some change.  
> Again, thank you for all the affection. I love you, guys!

 

 _Chapter 4. Notechis_ \- _The beginning._

  


Inside the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione felt like she was at home. It's safe, cozy and familiar. Enid, Bilius, and Ectur talked with her cheerfully, trying to make her comfortable.

 

She had the pleasure of meeting Algie Longbottom, Enid's fiance.

 

“See Hermione.” Enid showed her hand, moving her fingers to highlight the wizard-style engagement ring. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She smiled, giving a kiss to Algie's cheek.

 

Algie hugged Enid closer, smiling at her. He is the Gryffindor monitor just like Enid was and everyone was sure that the two would be Head Boy and Head Girl respectively next year when they enter the seventh year.

 

“Enid, Hermione is the sixth girl you showed your ring to today." Laughed Ignatius Prewett, his comment attracted everyone's laughter.

 

Ignatius was Ectur's older brother and was in the same year as Algie and Enid.

 

Hermione still had the pleasure of meeting Frederick Longbottom, Algie's brother and Lyall Lupin, the father of the future Remus Lupin, who were in their third year, eager to start their fourth year.

 

"Let's go, guys, let the freshman rest. I'm sure today was a hard day for her.” Algie comments and for being a good leader, everyone agrees with the comment he made.

 

They wish Goodnight, making the opposite way to the female dormitory, while Enid and Hermione up the stairs.  

 

It's a fact that all the things Hermione has been in her little handbag. Books, materials and everything that is important to her and Harry's survival is in there and with a simple Accio, she summons one of her pajamas.

When she lies down, the weight on her shoulders finally seems to alleviate. It's the first time in a while that she can lie down a little more relaxed, even though she's still worried.

 

Hermione turns, hugging the pillow. Sleep came easy, but she woke early the next morning - courtesy of the time she spent in the tent.

  


Quietly, she picks up the things she'll need for today in her handbag and then goes to the bathroom, doing her morning routine, watching her sleeping roommates. Down the stairs, she was surprised to find Ectur already awake.

 

“I'm happy to find someone who also wakes up early,” he says, smiling.

 

“Good morning.” She smiles at him, carrying her school bag. “Let's have breakfast?”

 

“Sure.” He agrees, holding out a hand to Hermione. She looks at his hand, a little disconcerted.

 

“What?” She asked, not understanding what he wanted.

 

“Your bag, silly.” He chuckles. “Let me take it.”

 

 _Oh, the chivalry of the 1940s_ , Hermione realizes. She isn’t  accustomed to this kind of attitude and, awkwardly, she gives him her school bag. Ectur smiles at her behavior,  finding it somehow cute the way she behaves. Taking their bags in one hand, he offers the other arm to Hermione who hesitantly accepts.

 

"I don’t bite," he says, teasing out a laugh from Hermione.

 

The Great Hall has few students, but Hermione is sure it won't be long before it gets full. When she glances at the Slytherin table, Hermione can’t tell if she's really surprised to find the young Dark Lord already there. She thinks it's a bit obvious he was there so early. Of course, Voldemort gets up earlier than the others and probably being the last one to sleep. It’s possible that the boy mistrusted his own shadow.

 

Hermione thinks it will be difficult to get used to seeing the Dark Lord eat. It’s certainly hard to imagine Voldemort doing such things basic and human, but she does her best to focus on what Ectur is saying.

 

At first, they don’t eat, and they keep talking for a long time. Ectur is thrilled to talk to Hermione and tell her everything about Hogwarts, and she plays her freshman role very well, listening to all he has to say. Ectur is charismatic and friendly and his cheeks turn rosy with ease.  

 

The Great Hall is filled with students. Algie and Enid sit side by side, talking to Ignatius. Lyall Lupine and Fred Longbottom are excited about the Quidditch finals and Hermione watches Bilius and Ectur arguing eagerly, but she smiles at them. They are eating, when a Slytherin girl walks toward the Gryffindor table. Bilius follows the girl's movement with her eyes, watching closely where she was going. He nudges Ectur with his elbow and nods so that Ectur notices what is happening as well. Hermione is just a bystander.

"We need to talk." The girl stops right next to Ignatius.

 

“What is it about, Miss Black?” Ignatius narrowed his eyes.

  


Apparently, the way Ignatius spoke wasn’t pleasant enough for the Slytherin girl.

  


"You can be sure that I wouldn’t be talking to you if it wasn’t necessary. So I need to talk to you." The girl cast a grim look at the Gryffindor table. "Alone" she emphasized.

Ignatius sighed before getting up, gesturing for the girl to walk ahead. The two left the Great Hall and Hermione noticed that it was not only the Gryffindors who were watching the couple leave, but the Slytherins were also as well.

 

"Who is she?" Hermione asked quietly.

 

Ectur leaned in and whispered in Hermione's ear.

 

"She's Lucretia Black." He satisfied Hermione's curiosity. "See those there?" Ectur discreetly pointed to the Slytherin table for three Slytherins - two boys and one girl. The Black family, Hermione acknowledged. "That's Orion Black, Lucretia's younger brother, he's in the fourth year. That is Walburga Black, and she is Alphard's older sister, who is sitting next to her." Ectur explained. The three of them were staring at the doors of the Great Hall. "They are relatives of our dear Bilius." He tapped Bilius on the shoulder, which made a face.

 

"My mother is Cedrella Black," Bilius explains. "My father is Septimus Weasley, who is considered by the Black family as a Blood Traitor." He mumbled with disdain the last words. "My parents' marriage was not accepted by the Black family, and they excluded my mother. I have no contact with any of them." Bilius shrugged. "My maternal grandmother is Lysandra Yaxley, which makes me connected to the Yaxley family. My aunts are Charis Crouch née Black, she has a four-year-old son named Barty and Callidora Longbottom née Black, who is Algie and Fred's grandmother. "

 

" In other words -" Ectur speaks. "Everyone's connected."

  


"I see," Hermione says. She certainly has a notion that all wizard families are somehow connected, is one of the motives that make Muggle-borns so excluded, but it's certainly interesting and a bit terrifying to look closely at what marriage connections do.

 

They’re still talking when they notice Orion, Walburga, and Alphard, are getting up and leaving the Great Hall. It is known that the Black family cherish their members and protect themselves, so seeing them coming out is an indication that the problems are coming to Ignatius. But to everyone's surprise, he doesn’t take long and comes back with a sulky and disgusted face.

 

His friends try to question him about what happened, but he says he's not in the mood to talk about it and they respect his decision. Only Alphard and Walburga return to finish their breakfast and it is probable that Orion stayed with his sister.

  


The first lesson that Hermione will have since she went back to the past is Potions with Horace Slughorn. Ectur and Bilius walk beside her, Ectur was holding her school bag and offering her the arm. In the corridor, as they passed a group of Ravenclaw girls, Hermione gets a deadly look from one of the girls.

 

"What was that?"

 

"This is Mary Runcorn and you've been holding the arm of her passion since the third year," Bilius says with a laugh. Is his time to take revenge on Ectur for the comment on the table in the Great Hall.

 

Hermione automatically releases Ectur, which makes Bilius laugh even more. Ectur rolls his eyes and has his cheeks pink.

 

"Don’t worry, Hermione." Bilius continues.

 

"I don’t want any trouble."

 

"You won’t have it," Ectur reassures her. "She and I have nothing."

  


"Not for Miss Runcorn's lack of attempts. It’s likely that next Valentine's Day she will give him the greatest declaration of love ever made at Hogwarts."

 

"Desired you are, hm?" Hermione enters Bilius's play, only to hear a grumbling of Ectur.

 

They arrive in the Potions room, Professor Slughorn is already there, waiting for the students. It's a Gryffindor / Slytherin class and when she realizes that Tom Riddle and his gang are there, it's like popping the little bubble of happiness she had thirty seconds ago. Hermione's blood freezes.

 

When Slughorn notices the presence of the celebrated Miss Granger, which all the teachers were speaking, including the Headmaster Dippet, he approaches with a smile for Hermione. Ectur sits next to Bilius after handing Hermione, her school bag.

 

"Miss Granger, it’s a great pleasure to meet you. Dumbledore talked about you. I must say you are brave enough to have been in the war. "

 

"Thank you very much, Professor Slughorn. It's a pleasure to meet you too" Hermione says. _And Dumbledore saves my skin one more time,_ she thinks _._  Certainly, Dumbledore talked to Dippet and the other teachers, probably to keep the lie about her arrival.

"Congratulations on being chosen as Head of the Slytherin House. Professor Dumbledore told me," If her knowledge is correct, Professor Slughorn is given the title of Head of the Slytherin House by that time. To her relief, Slughorn opens a smile, indicating that Hermione was correct.

 

"Thank you, Miss Granger." Slughorn thanks. "Dumbledore told us about your delicate situation." He continues. "That is why I recommend you to sit beside our dear Mr. Riddle. He's one of the best students- "

 

Hermione looks at the empty chair next to Riddle and then looks at him. She's pretty sure he's paying attention to what Slughorn is saying and that's why he smiles so softly and lowers his gaze as if he's shy about being praised to an unfamiliar person.

 

"- I'm sure he'll help you with whatever you need." Hermione looks back at Slughorn who continues to speak. "But if you have any serious questions, be sure to ask me."

 

Hermione is reluctant to accept. She wanted to say that there's no need to be with Riddle, she's smart enough to learn by herself, and she knows everything about the entire fifth year. But, against her will, she sits next to Riddle. She is almost at the edge of the chair, eyes trained on Slughorn as she slowly picks up a quill and parchment.

 

"Good morning, Miss Granger. I hope you're adapting well to Hogwarts," Riddle says.

 

"Good morning, Mr. Riddle, I'm adapting very well, thank you for asking," Hermione replies, after a few seconds debating whether or not to talk with him. But she considered it would be more suspicious of her to ignore him when, then, he supposedly didn’t anything for her.

 

She feels Tom Riddle's gaze on her and is disconcerting and makes her feel insecure and anxious. He is analyzing it, even if very discreetly and that is not good.

 

He tries a few times:

 

_How can I help you, Miss Granger?_

 

_Are you in need of help, Miss Granger?_

 

_Are you having any questions?_

 

She denies all the questions he asks. She was almost curled up in her chair, her eyes following every move Slughorn made. Suddenly the Potions class became extremely interesting, just because she was very willing to ignore Tom Riddle and go unnoticed. But when the class was over, she gathered up her material quickly, trying to escape Tom's presence, but one of her quills fell and before she could catch it, Tom took it.

 

He looks with interest at her quill, before looking at Hermione.

 

"Here, Miss Granger." He offers the quill to her, looking intensely, never blinking. His eyes... His eyes never looked  appealing as they are now, the color green-gray almost glowing. Attracting to look at him.

Hermione got stuck in his gaze for a moment before she understood what he might be doing. _Legilimency ...!_

 

Terrified, she runs from his gaze, taking her quill and cursing.

"Thank you, Mr. Riddle." She says softly, before turning and walking quickly towards Bilius and Ectur.

 

Hermione breathed more relieved as she put a distance between herself and Tom. Bilius noticed Hermione's state of mind and how her hair seemed to bristle.

 

"Are you okay, Hermione?" He asked, worried.

 

She smiled at the worried, chivalrous expression of Ectur and Bilius that made her remember how Fred and George were when they heard Draco calling her a mudblood.

 

To calm them down, she placed one hand on Bilius's forearm and another on Ectur's shoulder.

 

"I am fine. Don't worry," Said. She wanted to feel more confident than how her words sounded. It's really hard to feel safe with Voldemort so lose,  she thought.

  


"Did Riddle do something to you?" It’s Ectur who asked.

 

Oh, he did - will do - many things,  she wanted to say. However, trying to bring some enmity to the young Dark Lord didn't seem the best survival tactic and so she denied.

 

"No, he didn’t do anything," she replied. "He was actually very considerate," she emphasized, but the last words didn’t sound so true to her.

 

"If something happens, tell us, okay?" Bilius says.

 

"It's true. If you need anything, talk to us."  Ectur reaffirms.

 

Hermione smiles at the Gryffindor spirit they had.

 

Hermione is much calmer for her upcoming classes to be with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but as soon as she has time, she goes to meet Dumbledore. She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door of the Deputy Headmaster's office.  The door opened by itself.

 

"Good morning, Miss Granger. What do I owe the honor of your visit?" Dumbledore asks. "I hope your first day is going well."

"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore." She greets him. "Everything is going very well. All the teachers and students welcomed me very well," Hermione says. "My visit is not for a complaint. It's another request for help." She explained. "Again," Hermione laughs, a little embarrassed.

 

"What is it about?" He looks at her over his half-moon glasses.

 

"I wish you would teach me Occlumency ."

  


" Occlumency ?" Dumbledore asked, suddenly very interested and curious about the girl's desire. "I want you to know, Miss Granger, that you're safe in Hogwarts. What would be the need to learn Occlumency? Do you want to tell me something?"

 

Hermione passes her tongue through her dry lips.

 

"I know I am safe here and that I have your protection, Professor Dumbledore. I also know that you are aware of how important it is that my mind is to be safe. My mind has information that many wizards and witches would kill to have. I have the knowledge of the future and walk unprotected until I come back to my time, it worries me,"  she explains. "I'm worried about Grindelwald. If my arrival with Harry really did cause an alarm in the wizarding world, Grindelwald must also have felt." She looked uncertainty. "I'm getting ready to get advanced information on the Magic of the Time and I'd love for you to help me. If the magic that was used to bring me here was from the Dark Arts, the answer to take me back is also."

 

"The Dark Arts, my child, should not be underestimated. Though at first innocent, the temptation in them may corrupt"

 

"I know." Hermione looks determined. "But my desire to do good and protect the people I love is greater."

 

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, impressed by the strength of the words she chose.

 

"I know the basic of Occlumency, but I don’t think it's enough." She's sincere. "Please, Professor Dumbledore, think of what I said. I really appreciate all the help I can get. "

 

She said goodbye to him, before leaving the room and going to lunch in the Great Hall.

 

When she sits at the table, Enid asks.

 

"Where were you?"

 

"I had some problems to solve,"  Hermione responds. "But I hope everything is right."

 

She serves up some food for her, watching with a bit of good envy, Enid and Algie together. If she and Ron had confessed their love before, they would have enjoyed more. _Probably yes._ It wouldn’t have Lavender Brown or Viktor Krum, or jealousy and offenses, or crying. It would have been so much better. But of course, it's common for people to talk only about what they feel when they think they're close to the end, and now she condemns herself for all the fear she felt for telling Ron about her feelings for fear of being rejected. Now she realizes she acted like a fool.

 

"Argh, I'm screwed in Transfiguration classes." Fred Longbottom complains beside her.

 

"What happened?" Hermione asks.

 

" Transfiguration is one of the most important matters and I cannot even finish my essay." Hermione can hear the desperation in Fred's voice.

 

"Your essay is with you?" She asked and Fred confirmed, handing her the parchments.

 

Hermione reads, ignoring her food for a moment. For her, a third-year essay is easy, but she understands the desperation of Fred. When she was in the same year that he is, she was like that too. His essay is not bad, in fact, it's very good, just a few mistakes, but nothing too scary. Dumbledore will probably like what will see from Fred.

 

"It's very good," she reassured Fred. "You should focus more on vertebrate animals. They are the biggest challenge when it comes to the spell Evanesco. If you can do that, then nothing will stop you in the matter of Transfiguration when it comes to your turn to do the OWL's. "

 

When she finished, Ectur was looking at her.

 

"Why didn’t you come earlier, Hermione? I really need some help with my OWL's " He spoke a lot like Ron.

 

"You mean you're a Know-It-All?" Bilius looked at her, a smile, opening on his face. "Good to know."

 

"And now they'll be on your feet." Algie laughed.

 

"Please, let the girl breathe." Ignatius was laughing too. He leaned against the table. "So, Hermione... Are you good at Defense Against the Dark Arts?" He murmured.

 

Hermione laughed softly. That sounded a lot like her time with Harry and Ron, when everyone came to ask her about something. Some things don’t seem to change.

 

The next morning, during a free period, Hermione passed in the library, meeting Madame Imogen Gleeson. She went straight to advanced magic books, taking the book of Spell Potions and the Advanced Potion-Making because perhaps the person who attacked her bathed the medallion in some potion and used some spell to complete it. She got the book of Spells, Extreme Incantations and Abracadabra. She tried to find something that might be referring to the Magic of Time, but there was nothing.

 

She tried to get the Moste Potent Potions, but Madame Imogen requested the permission. She could ask Dumbledore or Slughorn, but she wanted the book now. She begged a little, saying it was for her OWL's. Madame Imogen authorized, however, that the book was with another student, in the end, Hermione had to wait.

  


It was then that she remembered the most terrible and dreaded book - Secrets of the Darkest Art - that was with her all the time inside her handbag. She took the books she requested at the library and went straight to the female dormitory, grabbed her bag and looked around. She couldn’t read that book in the library or in a place with much access, where people would see what kind of book it was, so she took everything she needed and went to the Astronomy Tower, which was empty at that time.

 

In a 'safe place' she finally holds the locket around her neck. She looks at him a little fearful and curious, at first she thought it was some sort of heavy medallion with the Time-Turner built-in, but no, it was actually a locket. The Time-Turner's hourglass stood in the middle, the sand in the hourglass was emerald green and was interestingly divided equally into both sides of the hourglass.

 

The locket was silver, there was a pattern in the circles around the hourglass - they were still perfect circles, however, in a twisted pattern, like Celtic circles. And around the Time-Turner were words, words she didn’t understand. They were vowels followed by vowels and many 's' and 'h'.

 

Hermione tries to move the hourglass, but nothing seems to make the hourglass move. It's when Hermione's brilliant mind put together all the initial pieces of the puzzle.

 

Every 'click'  that the Time-Turner made meant a decade. They totaled five clicks, meaning five decades into the past. On the last turn, the hourglass stopped in the middle. Five and a half decades. Fifty-five years. This Time-Turner is different and the person who created it, wanted her to be right where she is, she realized.

 

Rules, she needs rules to not make mistakes. What were the mistakes she's already made? A little desperate, she picked up the parchment and a quill and began to write:

 

1) **Hermione Granger** \- _I gave my real name._

 

It was an innocent mistake, she was surprised to see Dumbledore and gave her real name.

 

2)   **Harry** \- Important! _Harry's identity must be kept confidential, not just for who he is and will be. If You-Know-Who to know who he is and the danger he poses to the future of this person, You-Know-Who will try to kill him sooner. It‘s also important so that the information doesn’t clash with other people of his family. He is now Harry Evans._

 

3) **Find a cure for Harry?** _I don’t know what Harry has. I need to visit him at St. Mungo's. I think it has to do with You-Know-Who._

4) **The locket is the key.** \- _It was a special spell cast on Time-Turner. For all the spells a counterspell is needed or I'll have to create one. But in order for me to create a counterspell, I need to know the basics of the spell that was used._

 

Hermione stopped writing, again grabbing the locket around her neck. She looks at the locket, narrowing her eyes... Parseltongue!

"The spell was in Parseltongue, the words around are in parseltongue".  There’s a tone of happiness in her voice that soon undoes as she realizes what she has just said.

 

 _Oh, I'm so screwed_ , Hermione thought. She would never be able to translate what was written in the Time-Turner, she wasn’t a Parselmouth. The only person who could do that was the Dark Lord  - Tom Riddle.

 

 _Hello, Mr.Riddle. Could you do me a favor? You can translate what’s written in this Time-Turner so that I can go back to my time and try to kill your future self because you are a dark wizard and want me dead._  She snorted at that thought.

 

Obviously, she couldn’t ask for help to him with that. If what she remembers is correct, Riddle never told to anyone that he is a Parselmouth. The only people who knew about his skill were Dumbledore and his followers - she still has some doubt.

 

It would be very strange for her to ask for his help when he had never said he could talk with the snakes. Especially after the attacks came and they were looking for the Slytherin Heir.  

Tom Riddle would kill her before she could say 'Ah!'.

 

 _How will I translate?_ She wondered.

 

With a little headache, she took the parchment which she noted the important steps she would have to follow and cast an _Incendio_ , observing the parchment catch fire and fall in ashes.

 

After collecting her things, Hermione was walking down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, when she heard voices. By reflex, she hid.

There were two people, arguing eagerly. One of the voices she recognized as Alphard's.

 

"Walburga, that's enough," Alphard said.

 

"That's important, Alphard!" She questioned him again. "He hasn’t received the letter yet."

 

"Merlin, Wally! You know how it works. Cygnus's birthday is during our vacation. He'll get the letter. "

 

" What if he doesn’t get it? What if he's a squib !?" Walburga's tone increased.

 

"What if he is?" He questioned. "He's still our brother."

 

"What are you saying,  Alphard? I don’t have a squib sibling. If he is a squib, Mom and Dad will throw him away! "

 

"Take back what you said, Wally." Alphard ordered. "Take it back, now!"

 

"No!"

"Wally, you do everything to be unbearable, you know?" Alphard grunted. "Cy is not a squib. He's done some accidental magic, remember? "

 

"He better not be. Have you thought about the shame it would be for us if our friends knew that our younger brother is a squib? "

 

"Merlin, Wally is enough! Cy being a squib or not, is not the reason for me to thank every night. Do you know what really makes me thank every night? That  I'm not going to have to marry you." He shuddered at the thought. "Thank God our cousins had Orion Black and you're engaged to him. That's what I thank every night. "

 

" You're cruel, Alphard." She responded after a while absorbing his words, her voice a little tearful.

 

"Am I?" He replied petulantly. "Which one of us was trying to throw our little brother in the Muggle world?"

 

"You idiot!" She pushed him, before leaving with a firm and strong steps.

 

Hermione heard the whole conversation, trying to control her breathing. _Incest… If Orion Black had not been born, the Black family, with their fanaticism for the purity of blood, would marry Alphard and Walburga_.  She swallowed hard with that thought.

 

She waited a while, not hearing anything else, she came out of her hiding place.

 

"It's very rude to hear other people's conversation, Miss Granger." Alphard stood there, motionless, leaning loosely against the wall with arms crossed.

 

Hermione looked at him with uncertainty, she opened and closed her mouth like a fish, the books she carried, weighing in her arms. She had been caught in the act.

 

"So ...?" He raised one eyebrow.

 

She squeezed her jaw and her lips became a thin line and she swallowed.

 

"I didn’t want to hear it," she admitted. "Was an accident. I was leaving the Astronomy Tower when you two showed up. Instinctively, I hid, but I didn’t want to hear. "

 

He nodded as if thinking of the answer she gave.

 

"You didn’t become one of those crazy fans, did you?" He asked, very indiscreetly.

 

"Excuse me?" She frowned.

 

"You know just what I'm talking about. These girls who are chasing us and hiding." He gestured with a grimace, then loosened his tie.

 

"Wait ... What?" She looked at him in disbelief.   _Their pride is so great that they think they own the world and all people would fall at their feet?_ Hermione was referring to Alphard and the rest of Riddle's gang.

 

A minute of silence passed, they were silent, and then Alphard began to laugh.

 

"You should see your face," he said almost breathlessly. His attitude only made Hermione have a poker face.

 

"I know you didn’t want to listen," Alphard said after he had calmed down. "You don’t look like one of the stalker girls."

 

"Do you have a double personality?" Hermione asked, really serious, which made Alphard laugh again.

 

"Oh, Merlin,  you're going to kill me."

  


Hermione ignored him and started walking, making her way back to Gryffindor Tower.

 

"Hey, hey, wait! Let me help you. " He took half of the books she was carrying before she could stop him.

 

They walked in silence for a while, Hermione glanced at him a few times, realizing that he looked more serious and sad. A great contrast to the laughter he was giving a few moments ago.

 

"Are you okay?" She asked and he shrugged. "You want to talk about it?" She was referring to the conversation he had with his sister.

 

"You're pretty curious, aren’t you?" It's a rhetorical question, he sighed and then spoke. "It's the same as always. Wally shouting, an exaggerated concern for Cy and the fear of shame." He rolls his eyes. "But it's just the Black family."

 

Alphard didn’t know why he was opening up to the freshman, but somehow she seemed to be more trusting than his housemates. However, anyone seemed to be more trusting.

 

"That's not very Slytherin," she murmured. "I thought you loved the names of your families and the connections."

 

"And what do you know about the Slytherins, freshman?"

 

"Well, the Gryffindors speak." She shrugged.

 

They both smiled at each other. That's basically how it started. It was the beginning of a strange friendship. They didn’t speak in public, she was still talking more with Bilius, Ectur, Enid, Algie, Ignatius, Lyall, and Fred. But sometimes, when she was alone and he just showed up, Alphard would sit next to her and talk about anything.

 

He realized she was some sort of Know-it-All and library rat. She always had books, always reading and seemed to be doing some kind of research. She also always seemed focused and sometimes frustrated. She really didn’t give a damn about the fame that Alphard and the others had and when he was accompanied by his housemates, she didn’t even give him a second look.

 

In one morning that all the students were excited to go to Hogsmeade, that the Daily Prophet newspaper ad.  

 

**IS GRINDELWALD CLOSER?**

 

**The Ministry of Magic says there is no danger and they are working on the capture of the dark wizard Grindelwald. However, there are reports and indications that contradict this version. Where's the truth?**

But obviously, no one paid much attention. Bilius and Ectur were trying to persuade Hermione to join them and the others, but she refused, saying she was tired.

 

Was true, she was tired of reading and researching and her encounters with Dumbledore. Her head was aching, Harry hadn’t yet been discharged and her efforts didn’t seem to be leading anywhere.

 

She was really reluctant to go, but she thought that a walk in some 'different' environment might help her with her headache or maybe give some idea. In the end, after dressing, she went to Hogsmeade alone.

 

**o0o**

  


"My lord." Was Lestrange, who spoke. "Here is the letter I received from my father about the information you wanted."

 

Lestrange hands the letter to Tom, who was sitting in his favorite armchair in front of the fireplace in the Slytherin Common Room.

 

He reads the letter with extreme interest, the frustration appearing in his features when he locks his jaw and his eyebrows drop.

_Nothing! There's nothing about her in the Ministry!_

 

He crumpled the letter before his hand caught fire and burned the paper in his hand. Lestrange swallowed, nervously.

 

He considered himself a reasonably patient person. Tom knows that to achieve his goals, he has to be a patient person, but it was really frustrating to deal with Hermione Granger.

 

He was the golden student, the perfect and considerate boy for her. He smiled so much that once his cheeks get sore. He played the role of a young gentleman very well, but nothing seemed to enchant her.

 

Started with Slughorn, who served him well. Slughorn practically gave it to him, Hermione Granger. Placing her next to him in the classroom, and so did the other teachers, when it was a Gryffindor / Slytherin class. Tom thought that would make it easier for him to get close to her, but it wasn’t that easy.

 

She didn’t speak more than necessary, she didn’t look at him, she avoided contact. She was afraid of him.

 

Tom cracked his neck.

 

So, he was an observer of her attitudes. How she managed to fall on Dumbledore's good graces without doing anything. Was in a class that Dumbledore told her:

 

"Miss Granger, about those private lessons you asked for, we started this afternoon, during your free period.”

 

Her eyes flashed and a smile took over her face.

 

"Thank you so much, Professor Dumbledore. I'll be in your office at this time," She replied with excitement.

He noticed every time she met Dumbledore and how Dumbledore trusted her so much that he gave her free access to enter the Deputy Headmaster's office.

 

But the interesting thing was that she wasn’t an idiot. When she was asked, she answered the question with confidence and wisdom, but if she could avoid being the center of attention, she avoided it. It's like she doesn’t want to be noticed.

 

During the Dueling Club class that Hermione showed a little of her potential. The Club was led by professor Galatea, a teacher experienced in DADA, but what Hermione thought of the Club was summarized as shame.

 

She was really annoyed by the students' behavior. While most girls preferred to watch, those who tried to participate were treated as if they were made of glass when they were dueling against a boy. They cast the most basic and simple spells with a false pretext of 'I don’t want to hurt you,' when they actually underestimated their opponents and laughed when the girls were hit by some spell.

 

But of course, the Feminist Movement hadn’t yet reached the popularity.However, despite her irritation, Hermione didn’t intend to participate in some duel, but when Professor Galatea called her to perform a duel, Bilius and Ectur asked if she was okay with it and she raised an eyebrow.

 

"Mr. Dolohov, one step ahead, please. Be gentle to duel with Miss Granger."  Galatea spoke, gesturing with her hand for Dolohov to approach. He smiled very convincing manner, in his Slytherin robes.

 

Hermione's heart stopped for a few beats. Antonin Dolohov, the culprit of her having such ugly scar, that crossed her breasts and went towards her lower back. It seems that in the end, some fights don’t seem to change the characters.

 

Hermione admits she's afraid of him. Dolohov is known for being a brilliant duelist and for a fleeting moment she wants to tell Professor Galatea that she doesn’t want to fight, but the anger she feels about him is greater. Merlin, she has a grudge against Dolohov.

 

She reflexively ran her fingers between her breasts, remembering of the scar. Hermione felt the weight of Harry's wand in her hand. Is the first time she'd test the connection between her and Harry's wand.

 

She looked at the wand.

 

Tom saw it. When Galatea announced that Dolohov was going to duel against Granger, he had to restrain himself from laughing. Dolohov was an exceptional pupil, very good at dueling and a loyal follower. He felt sorry for Granger, of course, if he could describe like this.

 

He looked at her and watched her trace a path through the space between her breasts. For some reason, he took a deep breath when he saw the gesture. She looked at her wand, _perhaps a little fearful?_ But the next look she gave was fierce and fearless.

 

She began to take her robe off Gryffindor and handed it to Ectur Prewett, who stared at her astonished.

 

Like a boy, she began to roll the sleeves of her shirt up to her elbow and moved her shoulders as if trying to relax. Dolohov raised an eyebrow, still with a very convinced attitude.

 

Tom glanced at the movement of her skirt, which rose slightly with every step she gave while climbed the few steps to enter the duel area.

He watched her gaze at Dolohov and how her rosy lips became a thin line. Her uncontrollable hair seemed more bristling and electrifying and he felt the reason behind it. _Magic_. She was releasing magic. Strong Magic, and it chills the hairs of his arms.

 

Dolohov was underestimating her and no matter how Tom understood that she could be potentially different, he still bet Dolohov would win the match.

 

"I promise to be gentle, Miss Granger,"  Dolohov spoke, bowing, but everything Hermione heard was a sort of teasing and she didn’t respond.

 

It was just too fast. Five seconds, at most. She was ready. Before Dolohov could say Expelliarmus, she cast a Stupefy. The force of the spell lifted Dolohov and threw him back in a spinning move. All the students followed with their heads, Dolohov stopping across the room. Everyone in the room was silent.

 

"Impossible,"  Rosier muttered beside Tom.

 

 _One of my best followers finished in seconds_ , Tom thought. Everyone watched as she walked to the middle of the room, while a groggy Dolohov tried to stand up. With a gesture and a non-verbal spell, Dolohov's wand flies to Hermione's hand.

 

She looked at Dolohov from above, his wand in her left hand. She had an immense desire to break his wand in two, but all she did was leave his wand there, on the floor.

 

Tom Riddle inclined his head, his eyes were in that strange gray-green color as he watched her turn away from Dolohov. She was graced by her housemates, but she didn’t look so happy, just smiling gently at the comments.

 

Dolohov humiliated the Slytherin House, losing to Granger in a few seconds. Tom would have a special conversation with Dolohov tonight in the Room of Requirement.

 

"Why did you lose to Granger?" Tom asked again, the Room of Requirement was occupied with him and his followers, who were silent, observing with a strange pleasure, Dolohov being tortured. Some of them had a smirk on their faces.

  


"Because I underestimated her," Dolohov replied in a hoarse voice of so much screaming.

 

"It's quite obvious, isn't it? How many times did I say that people shouldn’t be underestimated? It doesn’t matter if it's a man or woman. You were just an idiot. How can you not perform a simple Expelliarmus ?" Tom sighed and then, "Crucio,"  He talked like he was saying the weather was hot.

 

Dolohov screamed and struggled with the effect of the spell. After what seemed an eternity, Tom stopped.

 

"I'm worried,"  He said, his gaze to his followers who until then, were not in trouble with him. "I wondered if you were all like Dolohov."

 

Nott and Mulciber swallowed hard, the smile fading from their faces.

 

“So I asked myself, why not train more?” Tom continued. “Let's practice some very dark spells, so you don’t make the same mistake as our dear Dolohov.”

 

"What should we practice, my lord?" Abraxas asked.

 

"Isn’t obvious? We have a perfect guinea pig right here."  Tom pointed to Dolohov. "No one leaves here until I'm sure everyone is fit. Until I say that's enough. Until I'm tired."

 

It was a long night for Dolohov.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notechis scutatus is also known as Tiger Snake. The fifth most poisonous snake in the world.


	6. Naja Oxiana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remembering that English is not my mother tongue, but I worked hard, so I hope the text is readable to you. Let me know if the text is good. Or if I need to fix something

 

_Chapter 5. Naja Oxiana_ \- _Act like a guy._

 

The Clock Tower Courtyard area was apparently empty on that sunny afternoon. Most of the students were studying for the OWL's inside their Common Room, but Tom Riddle was standing there and listening to the love confession of a Hufflepuff girl. She had her hair in caramel tones, freckles on her nose and cheeks and hazel eyes.

 

_ She wasn't ugly,  and she was brave enough _ , Tom had to admit.

 

Most people didn't have the determination to come face to face with a love letter, but here was this girl, handing him a letter, while timidly talking about her feelings. 

 

What a romantic place, Tom thought with disdain and irony.  Just near the old fountain on a sunny day. 

 

The girl lowered her eyes, not having enough courage to look at him, running her tongue over her lips and stammering. Probably the girl's heart was beating extremely fast.

Now that the girl wasn’t looking, Tom let the 'good guy' mask fall, revealing the look he gave to her, which conveyed anger and disgust. It was then that he had heard a sigh. The girl in front of him didn’t notice that, she was very focused on talking about her feelings and too nervous to be attuned to the environment around her, but Tom listened. He looked up from the girl and saw her ... Hermione Granger. 

 

She was standing there, a few feet from where Tom and the Hufflepuff girl were. Granger had a frightened look, her mouth a little open, holding a book tightly against her chest, her hair around her - loose and unmanageable. 

 

He blinked and she turned around quickly, almost running, very frightened. It was then that Tom knew, she saw; She watched as he took off his mask and revealed the true emotions he had. She saw it and got scared.  _ She knows. _

 

She avoided him for the rest of the day and Tom knew he had to get close to her to know how much she saw or how much she knows. 

 

It's really funny how fate plays in his favor. At night, while doing a patrol as Prefect, he saw her leaving the library with some books and parchments, she was still on time, but it was perfect for him to have her alone. 

 

"Miss Granger." 

 

She startled and slowly looked over her shoulder through a few strands of her uncontrollable hair, hugging the books against her chest.

 

"Mr. Riddle," She greeted him. 

 

"Let me help you." Tom steps forward and she backs away. 

 

"No need." She refuses quickly. 

 

"Please, I insist. Let me escort you to Gryffindor Tower. " 

 

Granger actually seemed reluctant to let him accompany her, but in the end, she relented. He wanted to walk more slowly so he could have time to inquire her, but she accelerated her steps, always looking forward. 

 

"We haven’t talked much since you arrived, Miss Granger. I must say that I expected you to be in Slytherin, but I hope the Gryffindors are receiving you well." He tried to talk to her, but all he received was silence. "You were a Hatstall, which is very interesting. You're the first student I know to be a Hatstall." 

 

" Hm." That was the only answer she gave. 

 

"By the way, what you did at the Dueling Club was impressive. I admit that Dolohov was a little angry, but it's all his fault. He was not ready for you."   Tom bites his lower lip. "But I think teachers do it on purpose, you know? Put the Houses to fight against each other. I think they like to feed the rivalry between the Houses, as for example: Gryffindor against Slytherin. You against Dolohov. It's bullshit, isn’t it? " 

 

" Certainly," she answers. 

 

She really difficult my side, Tom thinks.

 

"You seem to be a very studious person, I realize. But don’t you worry about stress? Because I do. Sometimes we take so much responsibility that we get stressed, don’t we? It happens to me sometimes; for example, today. I was so tired, but I still wanted to pay attention to the lady who was talking to me. " 

 

Okay, he had thrown the words, waiting for her answer. He smiled internally. 

He noticed as she began to breathe more quickly and as she began to paler, he stopped her, holding her by the arm. 

 

"Miss Granger, are you okay?" He asked with false concern. 

 

Her eyes grew larger as she saw how close he was to her. At first, he really thought it was a waste of time, but when she got really pale and started to sweat cold, he understood that she would faint right there. Tom released the books he carried and placed a hand on the back of her neck, her expression becoming a mixture of anger and dread, but that was not what caught his attention, it was how his magic reacted to her. 

 

A kind of charge of energy passed between them and Tom took his hand from her skin quickly. Something seemed to warm the palm of Tom's hand and he closed it and opened his hand a few times. Tom's magic reacted invitingly and he tilted his head, moving closer to her. 

 

She put herself against the wall.

 

"Interesting, Miss Granger," he murmured softly, much more interested in the reason why this had happened. 

 

"Mr. Riddle, I believe your behavior is not acceptable." She stammered, referred to his closeness. 

 

The two of them stared at each other as they heard footsteps. Slughorn was just a few feet away, a silly grin on his face and cheeks and the tip of his nose slightly rosy. He turned and walked away, giggling like a fool, without giving Hermione and Tom the chance to explain themselves. 

 

_ Oh, shit, _ Tom thought. 

 

Time enough for Hermione to collect her things that had fallen and run away from Tom.

 

Tom returned to the dungeons after the patrol, his thoughts with the sensations and images of Hermione Granger. The noise of the Bloody Baron's chains made the dungeons darker than they really were and it was true that the students had a pre-concept of dungeons and Slytherins, almost always avoiding walking around these areas, which in the end, gave freedom to the Slytherins. 

 

Tom murmured the password, the wall moved and opened space for him to pass. His followers were gathered in the Common Room, Mulciber was trying to heal Dolohov who was still injured after the night in the Room of Requirement. 

 

"You're a horrible mediwizard," Dolohov complained. 

 

"I wouldn’t need to heal you if you were not an idiot." Mulciber countered Dolohov's comment. 

 

Angrily, Dolohov tried to grab the collar of Mulciber's shirt, but the movement was very quick and caused more discomfort. 

 

"Granger will pay me." Dolohov threatened. 

 

"You're mad about because you lost to Granger. Pathetic, Dolohov. She's a girl.” Lestrange looked down at Dolohov, a petulant smile on his face. 

 

“Are you all dumb?" It was Malfoy's turn to speak. "She's different." 

 

"I admit she's a strange girl. Have you seen how she behaves?" Avery said. 

 

"That's not what I'm referring to." Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Dolohov lost not only because he is an idiot. The girl came from the war, that's what was said. "

 

"In any case, what Granger did will not go unpunished," Dolohov argued. 

 

Tom listened to the conversation of his Housemates in silence. 

 

"I like her," Alphard said out of nowhere. 

 

As Alphard commented, everyone turned his head toward him, including Tom. 

 

"Alphard, are you serious?" Nott asked, there was a tone of laughter in his voice as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing. 

 

Alphard shrugged. 

 

"So many girls out there and you like Granger?" Rosier raised an eyebrow. 

 

"What? She's still a girl. She's different, she doesn’t wear make-up, she has wild hair and freckles on her cheeks and nose, apparently, she has a nice body and she's smart." Alphard shrugged again. "Have I told you that she beat Dolohov in a duel?" Everyone laughed at Alphard's comment, except for Tom. "It's something new. It's refreshing. Even if to kill time."

 

That night, Hermione's thoughts were turbulent. 

 

_ The locket reacted to Tom Riddle, _ she thought.  _  Obviously he would react to him, it is likely to be a Time-Turner that Salazar Slytherin himself created. But why would Voldemort have ordered one of his followers to put Time-Turner in a mudblood? Something that can be a family heirloom? It doesn’t make sense, unless he wanted to make sure his younger version knew the future and changed what he might call "a mistake." _

 

"Oh, no." she murmured, hugging the pillow. 

 

When Riddle touched her, the cord holding the locket warmed in her neck. It wasn't bad and it wasn't good. It was kind of a reflex of magic. 

**o0o**

 

Tom was lying face down on his poster-bed, the green curtains surrounding the bed was closed, giving him privacy. Tom's raven hair was clinging to his forehead because of the sweat, he was frowning and his lips were tight. Tom was dreaming. The eyes were moving behind the eyelids. 

 

_ You're special, Tom. You're different.   _

 

Tom had awakened, his green eyes were frightened, and his breath was racing. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Suddenly the room had gotten too hot for him,  must be courtesy of early summer. Quickly, he started unbuttoning his pajama shirt and threw his clothes on the foot of the bed. He is usually organized with the few things he owns, but this time he doesn’t give a shit. 

 

He had a strange preference for dreaming when he was asleep, but for some reason, the dream without images he had just had disturbed him. The female voice that had spoken to him was still tormenting his senses. 

 

_ My mom? _ He wondered, questioning the identity of the voice. 

 

His feelings about his mother are complicated, partly he doesn’t care about her and considers her weak for giving up magic because of a Muggle, there is a trace of rancor in what he feels for her.  **He had not been enough to make her want to live.**

On the other hand, he admires what she gave him without thinking. She gave him the purest magical blood that has ever existed. And even though he is disregarded by who she was, he doesn’t accept anyone speaking shit about his mother or his family -  **The Gaunts** .

 

From what he has researched, he understands how disgusting and humiliating the Gaunt family was, but if all he planned was going to work, Tom wants to put an end to what's left of the Riddles and Gaunts on his summer vacation. 

 

In the morning, everyone was getting ready to go to Hogsmeade,  the last weekend before the OWL's. Virginia Flint was surrounding Tom, hoping he would invite her to go along with him and the others to Hogsmeade when she didn’t receive an invitation from Tom, she went to Lestrange. Of course, Lestrange with a smile said that they might meet while they were there, but that he first wanted to have fun with his friends. 

 

Rosier coughed to hide his laughter, and Mulciber bit his lower lip.  If wore skirts, Lestrange would take it. But what the girl Flint did not know is that he'd said the same thing to three different girls. Avery raised an eyebrow. 

 

"What?" Lestrange shrugged, after Virginia Flint left. "It wasn’t me who called her to go to Hogsmeade, she came to me because she wanted to." 

 

"You're terrible." Nott shook his head, smiling at Lestrange's attitude. 

 

So they left their Common Room and went to Hogsmeade. 

 

**o0o**

Currently, Hermione was in the Hog's Head Inn, drinking the second glass of Firewhisky, some bags of the Honeydukes store were next to her. 

The Hog's Head Inn was, fortunately, empty except for her. The emptiness of the room seemed to match the way she felt and the glass of Firewhisky. She didn’t think she was getting into any kind of depression, though she often got sad about her situation, she couldn’t say that she was the happiest girl ever.  When she entered through the pub door, she raised an eyebrow to the pool table that was there in the corner and dusty. This wasn’t something she remembered that had in  the Hog's Head Inn in her time, but it's possible that Aberforth threw the table away after realizing the little use. .  _ After all, what wizard would play with something so Muggle? _ She asked to herself with irony... 

 

Hermione sighed and drank the rest of the liquid from her glass. She had seen Alphard and the rest of Riddle's gang earlier, when she had left Honeydukes, Tom and the others had not noticed her presence - which she had been grateful for - but Alphard noticed. They nodded each other from a distance and went their own way. She, alone and he with Tom and the others. 

 

Alphard had asked her once about her behavior when he was with his friends, Hermione had just said: 

 

"I find them a bit intimidating. Don’t get me wrong, Alphard, but sometimes I'm afraid of them. I respect you wanting to walk with them, but I will not."  

 

He respected this and made no further comments. 

 

Hermione was about to leave, when the Hog's Head Inn door was opened, laughter and conversation, Tom and his followers. Hermione froze in her seat, the conversation and playfulness stopped for a moment when they noticed her presence. 

 

"Miss Granger," Tom said, his footsteps were heard as he approached where Hermione was. She was still on her back, staring at the bottom of the glass she was holding.  She heard more footsteps and felt as they spread through the surroundings of the Hog's Head Inn.

 

She glanced over her shoulder, analyzing them. Avery and Dolohov were near the door, Nott and Mulciber near the tables and the windows on the left, Black and Rosier were near the pool table, Tom was right near her left side, Abraxas was on her right side. 

 

_ Shit _ , they surrounded her. Hermione glanced at Alphard.  _ It was him. He saw where I was going and brought them here. _ Even though I was afraid of them.  Alphard betrayed her. 

 

_ So,  this the good uncle of Sirius?  He's a son of a _ ... 

 

"Well, gentlemen, I was just leaving," she says, picking up Honeydukes' bags. 

 

"Oh no, Miss Granger. Please accompany me in a drink." Tom took her arm gently, but didn’t let her escape. 

 

He was silent for a moment, she looked around and sighed in defeat. 

 

"A glass. After all, a girl shouldn’t be long in coming back to a safe place when it's night, right?" She said the last words with irony. 

 

Riddle released her arm as she turned. She had not settled, still standing. As soon as he entered, he realized. Granger was wearing strange clothes. A pair of strange blue pants, very tight on her legs, defining her thighs and calves. Her hair was in a clumsy bun, she wore a dark blue summer sweater and strange boots, much like the men wore in the Muggle War. 

But she smelled good. The perfume - if she was wearing one - was soft and delicate, however, irresistible. 

 

Tom looked at Granger's hand, noticing the chocolate bags she carried. 

 

"Chocolates, Miss Granger?" 

 

She looked down at the bags. 

 

"Yes, it's irresistible."

"A girl, after all." Abraxas commented and Lestrange laughed. 

 

"What do you mean?" She glared at Malfoy. 

 

"Don’ t mind with them. I also like chocolates," Tom said. 

 

Hermione moved in her bags and pulled out a bar of chocolate and handed it to Riddle.  _ Who knows, he'll leave me alone.  _

 

Tom raised an eyebrow, but picked up the bar anyway. 

 

"Thank you, Miss Granger. On the night before -” Tom cannot finish his sentence, because the two cups were placed respectively in front of each. Tom took his glass and brought it to his lips, but didn’t even drink. He was very impressed with how quickly Granger took the glass and drank the liquid in a few seconds in a single gulp. 

 

Tom had a strange expression, Abraxas was astonished. 

 

_ She drank like a boy. Like a man, _ Tom thought.  _  Weren’t the women supposed to drink gently?  _

 

After finishing, Hermione wiped her lips against her hand.  Alphard laughed after a time when they all stared at Granger. 

 

"Hermione, you're awesome." Alphard clapped a hand and she glanced at him.  

 

_ Hermione?  _ Tom was surprised that Alphard had called her by her first name.

 

"Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I'm going" She hurried. "Thanks for the drink, Riddle." 

 

"Hermione," Alphard called out. "Play with me." He pointed to the pool table. 

 

"What is this?" Malfoy asked. 

 

"It's a pool table," Alphard explained. 

 

"And what this thing do?" It was Rosier who spoke. 

 

_ Oh, they don’t know. They live so much in their pure-blooded world that they don’t know what it is.  _

 

"She doesn’t do anything," Hermione explained to Rosier, Tom looked at her. 

 

"It's a Muggle game," Alphard continued. "So, let's play, Hermione?" 

 

_ Son of a...! He doubts my blood status. He's manipulating me,  _ Hermione realized. 

 

"How do you know this game, Alphard?" Nott asked. 

 

"Is that serious?" Alphard slapped Nott's head. "There are those who say that those who don’t know about things don’t know how to defend themselves." 

 

"And how does playing a Muggle game make you smarter, Alphard?" Avery asked. 

 

"It's a way of saying, Avery. However, Muggles do some cool things. "Alphard shrugs. 

 

"A Muggle lover, that's what we have here." Lestrange rolled his eyes. 

 

Hermione was trying to escape as fast as she could to get out of that place. She didn’t like the direction this conversation was going and didn’t like the look Dolohov was giving her. 

 

"So, Hermione, let's play?" He asked again. 

 

"I don’t know how to play," she lied. 

 

"It's very simple, put all the balls in the holes and don’t let the white ball go together." He looked at her. "If you want I can teach you"

 

Alphard summarized very badly how the game worked, he also had no idea how the game worked, but that's fine. She was silent. 

 

"Come on, Miss Granger, play with Alphard. Help the heart of this poor boy who loves you." Lestrange spoke indelicately, laughing, and slapping Alphard on the shoulder. With his comment, the boys made a noise. "Everyone knows he likes you." 

 

Hermione, like the others, approached the table. Tom was still close to her, looking with interest as to where this was going.  He watched as her gaze darkened and how she snorted at Lestrange's comment. 

 

"Of course." She picked up a pool cue, holding it with her right hand, while the fingers of her left hand dragged through the pool table slowly. 

 

"Everyone knows you love me, isn’t it Alphard?" She said, walking patiently around the table, past Tom - who followed her with his eyes - Abraxas, Rosier, and Avery.  "Yes, everyone knows," she murmured scornfully, heading toward Alphard. "You're really very loyal." She was face to face with Alphard, Lestrange made a funny face. 

 

Hermione stared at Alphard for a moment before leaning against the pool table with her pool cue stick. Tom looked at how her pants seemed to tighten even more in the right places when she made that move. In one play, Hermione managed to score, but she didn’t want to stay there any longer.

 

"I'm sorry, Alphard, I really don’t know how to play this game." 

She was not really referring to playing pool, but to that kind of manipulation game that Alphard was getting her into. 

 

Angrily, she picks up the chocolates, walking through Dolohov, but before she can make the move to open the door, something catches her attention through the window. She retraced a few steps, narrowing her eyes and looking at the men in black, Hermione lets the chocolate bags fall, Tom goes to her side and looks in the same direction as she looks, he also narrows his eyes. 

 

Hermione knows when problems will come. She is aware of when there are people who want to do something wrong and are looking for something and right now, these five men who are wanting to enter the pub are reminding her very well of the Death Eaters. 

 

Tom and Hemione exchanged glances. 

 

"Problems." The two murmur together. 

 

In a quick move she turns around, Aberforth is coming down the stairs, she looks around and goes to a window leading back to the pub, without a second thought, she opens and walks out the window. 

Tom and the others observe Hermione's movements. Tom also doesn’t think twice, he also does the same thing as her. If there's anything he cherishes, it's survival. 

 

When they see their leader coming out of the pub, everyone else walks through the window as well.  

Tom is waiting for them and watching Hermione walk away with quick steps. She is walking towards the fork of the road that crosses the Forbidden Forest. 

 

"What's going on?" Malfoy asks. 

 

Before anyone can respond, an explosion of magic occurs, everyone bows down by a simple act of reflex. 

 

"Aberforth ..." Hermione murmured, her eyes wide. There was a fight going on inside the pub. 

 

But none of them has much to think about, because three of the five men who entered the pub are out there looking at them. Hermione knows better than to stay, she runs towards the path that crosses the Forbidden Forest. 

 

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Avery shouts. 

 

For some reason, they begin to follow Granger or maybe it was because of her she was going to the only place that seemed to be an escape. 

 

Tom is good at everything he does. So if he's running, he's fast. The boys soon seem to have an advantage over Granger, running faster. Alphard, Rosier, Dolohov, and Tom are leading the race, but the most impressive thing for them is that they begin to notice a girl with unruly hair - now loose - reaching them. 

 

She succeeds in passing through Rosier and Alphard, strives to reach Dolohov and is now side by side with Tom. Turning aside from the obstacles and now Tom understands why she wears those masculine-style boots.

 

Mulciber is falling behind and the pursuers are casting spells on their backs. Hermione stops and with a quick movement, turns around and cast a spell. 

 

"Reducto!" She shouted, her spell saving Mulciber from being caught and seemed to throw the enemies away. 

 

She was breathing quickly when she stopped running. They were all breathing deeply, trying to calm down. 

 

"Who are they ?!" Lestrange demanded. 

 

"I don’t know, I don’t care." Hermione started walking. Lie, Hermione cared a lot about who those people were and why they seemed to have a specific target.

 

"Come back here, girl." Dolohov took Hermione's arm.

 

"Let me go," Hermione ordered. 

 

"Dolohov, release her now," Tom ordered darkly. His temper was changing and all his followers noticed. 

 

They began to walk in silence, heading toward Hogwarts. Could anything be worse than walking alone through the Forbidden Forest with Voldemort and the Death Eaters? Hermione would pay to see. 

 

As they walked, the smell of gasoline became more and more stronger. They were in the field of plants that seemed to release pus. 

 

"It's Bubotuber," Nott explained. 

 

Tom was silent, walking beside Hermione. They hear a grunt from Rosier as he inadvertently stepped on a small Bubotuber and squeezed it, causing the plant to explode pus and dirty his clothes.

 

Tom smell the burn. Turning slowly, he watches Fiendfyre is coming toward them. The fire element spell seems to intensify in the middle of the gasoline smell that the plants release.  A wall of fire separated Tom and Hermione from the others. A kind of fire that no Aquamenti would erase. Both turned to face their enemy.

 

Tom finally pulled out his wand, holding it firmly in his hand, he gazed darkly from under his lashes, letting his magic come alive and run free.  The great amount of power left Hermione shocked. Part of the fire surrounded Tom, working with his magic, shielding him.

But man didn’t mind with Tom and turned the tip of his wand toward Hermione, casting a spell in her direction.  Hermione raised a shield that protected her and Tom and Tom took the opportunity to attack, using Bombarda. Although his patience was diminishing, he didn’t want to use the most dangerous spells in Granger's presence. 

 

As he attacked, making the man pay attention to him, Hermione looked around. 

 

"Carpe Retractum!"  A rope of light came from the tip of Hermione's wand and she used it to pull a Bubotuber into the man as if it were a sling. The plant hit the target and exploded pus, running with acid from the eye and on the skin. Hermione took Tom's arm and started to run. 

 

Groaning, Tom let himself be taken by Hermione. He didn’t like to leave an unfinished fight, it gave him the same feeling of an itch he couldn’t scratch. However, he was almost casting a death spell to end it all at once.  They were making a steep descent, when Hermione slipped, rolling down the hill. Tom tried to catch her, but she carried him along in her fall. 

Tom hits the ground, he grunted in pain from the blow he had hit his head, but what he feels is the weight of Granger's body against his. She is on top of him, one leg on each side and face to face with him.  Her eyes are open savagely, her full hair becomes a sort of curtain around them. She is looking directly into his eyes and her breath is very close. 

He tried to move her body, but she put her hand in his mouth, making a sign of silence, throwing a Delusion spell over them. 

 

Tom glanced over her shoulder, watching his attacker search for them.  She cast a great Delusion spell, he thought. 

They were silent and watched the man Apparate. After a moment, Hermione undoes the Delusion spell and moves away from Tom. 

Before he can comment, she is already walking. Tom watched her, noticing her pink cheeks.

 

_They were after something. No, they were after someone ... Granger?_ _She knows something, she did something and Dumbledore protects her_. 

 

Tom's mind begins to think of theories. 

 

Didn’t take too long before they meet the others again. They were gathered, staring at something, when Tom and Hermione are close enough, she makes a shocked noise at what she sees. 

 

"Did you kill a unicorn?" She asked with dread and anger. 

 

"What? Damn! Of course not!" Rosier cursed. 

 

"Manners, Rosier. Have manners." Lestrange yawned. 

 

Suddenly they seemed very calm, as if that run, the fight and almost being hit by a Fiendfyre was just fun. 

 

"It was already dead when we arrived," Malfoy explained. 

 

Nott bent down and conjured a knife and began to cut the hair from the unicorn's tail, then try to cut the horn. 

 

"What are you doing, Nott?" Avery asked. 

 

"You don’t have many opportunities like that. Do you know the various potions I can do with unicorn hair and the horn?" He spoke excitedly. 

 

Tom raised one eyebrow. 

 

"What's wrong with you ...?" Hermione muttered. 

 

They turned their heads toward her. 

 

"Oh, Miss Granger, I hope you understand that this is simply academic. My student side can’t resist." Nott continued with a smile. 

 

She retreated a few steps, colliding with her back with Dolohov. 

 

"Miss Granger, don’t you think I forgot our duel, did you?" 

 

Hermione turned quickly, trying to escape Dolohov's grip. 

 

"Don’t touch me!" She screamed and with a non-verbal spell, she made Dolohov's tie tighten more and more against his neck. 

 

At first, Dolohov continued with his grip on Hermione's arm, but he was forced to release as his tie began to tighten around his neck. He gasped and got to his knees, breathing with difficulty. Hermione held on to the spell, her magic spinning around her, moving her hair like the wind. 

 

Tom looked at her a little fascinated by what he was seeing. 

 

"Hermione," Alphard called out. "Hermione, enough! You're going to kill him! " 

 

She left Dolohov and turned his wand toward them. 

 

"He wanted to hurt me!" She told Alphard. "He has the right to do what he wants with me, but I can’t return the favor? I saved your ass! "She's hysterical. 

 

Alphard hands raised and approached Hermione. 

 

"It's okay, Hermione. I would never let the Dolohov hurt you." He slowly placed a hand on Hermione's arm that was holding the wand. "Come on, Hermione, let's go back to Hogwarts. It was a very stressful day, wasn’t it? " 

 

Avery approached Tom and whispered in his ear. Hermione didn’t like it at all. 

 

Hermione moved closer to Alphard, using him as a shield. 

 

"Congratulations, Dolohov. You got one more night with Tom in the Room of Requirement." Mulciber whispered to Dolohov, who was trying to get up, " You lost to Granger again. " 

 

Hermione can’t hear because she was already walking with Alphard to Hogwarts, a helpless girl in the midst of snakes. 

 

Everyone was on their way to Hogwarts, Tom approached Hermione almost as they were about to cross the gates of the castle. 

 

"Miss Granger ..." Tom put a hand on the back of Hermione's neck, his hand began to warm, his magic reacting and that strange electric current passed through them, but this time he did not shrink, he looked directly into Hermione's eyes. 

 

Hermione didn’t look away, looking into Tom's green eyes. 

 

He looked and looked, but nothing happened. He collided with the mental barrier in her mind. Occlumency. The initial smile that he had, was undone when he realized that he wouldn’t be able to take anything from her.  She pushed him and entered the gates of Hogwarts, now being in the protection of the castle. 

 

"Try to Obliviate me." She narrowed her eyes. 

 

Before he could move toward her, Professor Galatea ran toward them. 

 

"Are you all right? All the students and teachers were worried about you. You were the only ones who had not returned." Galatea looked at the condition of their clothes. "You were on the attack. There was an attack from Grindelwald in Hogsmeade and in France at the same time. " 

 

" We're fine, Professor. We made our way through the Forbidden Forest to Hogwarts. " 

 

" Great Merlin! " 

 

"We're fine, Professor Merrythought. I just want to go back to my dorm. "Hermione turned her back. 

 

"Miss Granger, allow me to accompany you. It's been a rough night and be all by yourself, it must be stressful for you," Tom said, taking a step toward Hermione. "It's my duty as Prefect."

 

"No need, Mr. Riddle. I think you've noticed that I know how to take care of myself. " 

 

She turned and started walking toward Gryffindor Tower, a smile appearing on her face. It was only the first clash, but Hermione was glad she was victorious. 

 

Tom's hand clenched into a fist. All this time he underestimated her. 

 

**o0o**

 

Her friends were very worried. They asked why she had not gone with them. They asked her how she was and if she was not hurt in any way. 

 

Hermione thanked them for their concern, but she said she was fine. What worried Hermione was the fact that she had a Grindelwald attack on Hogsmeade. She didn’t remember. If this was an inopportune event, it meant that her and Harry's presence were changing the time. 

 

The next day she ran away from Riddle and her gang as the devil flees from the cross, as the Muggles would say. But she felt his looks on her, which is why she preferred to be in public and in the company of Ectur and Bilius. But it was when she was alone in the library that Alphard approached her. 

 

"Is everything okay?" He had sat in front of her. 

 

She didn’t have the patience for him. 

 

"How did you find out?" She asked, getting right to the point. She looked up from the parchment she was writing, looking at Alphard. 

 

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. 

 

"Granger is not a very wizard name, is it?" He whispered. 

 

"And why did you want to throw me at the wolves?" She whispered angrily. 

 

"I just wanted to confirm. Don’t get angry, but it was the old man with half-moon glasses who told me. " 

 

" Dumbledore? "She asked. 

 

"Is there another Transfiguration teacher who has this description?" Alphard was leaning against the table. "The old man asked me to protect you." 

 

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

 

"You and not Ectur or Bilius?" 

 

"Because I'm in Slytherin," Alphard explained. "If others know your blood status, they will want to kill you." 

 

"And what do you gain by helping me?" 

 

"I am a mistake that the Hat refuses to admit. It was for me to be in Gryffindor, but for fear of my parents, I asked him to stay in the Slytherin House. "Alphard shrugged. 

 

"Insightful, but not very reliable," she murmured. 

 

"It's understandable, after last night. But remember, I play on your side only with different colors." He winked at her. "Shh .. your secret is with me." 

 

He stood up and left. 

 

At night, Hermione was in the Astronomy Tower, which was empty this time. She was reading Secrets of the Darkest Art, but when she started yawning more than three times, she knew she had to go to sleep. 

 

She hugged the book against her chest and went down the stairs to the  Gryffindor Tower, when she turned her back, she heard the voice. 

"Miss Granger, will you please give me the pleasure of a conversation?"  

Tom stood there in his Slytherin robe, his hands behind him, holding his wand. He had a raised eyebrow and green eyes, a wicked grin on his face. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naja Oxiana is the most poisonous naja species of the naja type. Naja is the sixth most poisonous snake in the world


	7. Daboia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank aga1127, sikaloolala, JuliaLestrange, MelissaRod00, FreyaFallen, Mayamelissa, Jennieb89 and sincerely for the comments and the affection. <3 <3  
> I would also like to thank everyone who is reading the story and gave it a chance, just as I would like to thank everyone who gave Kudos.
> 
> Remembering that English is not my native language, then forgive me if there is any mistake in the text. Let me know if there are any errors or if the text needs to be modified.  
> I love you guys!

 

_Chapter 6. Daboia_ \- _Priori Incantatem_

 

Hermione fortifies the grip on the book against her chest. She swallows hard by noticing the kind of look that Tom has on his face.She really tried to avoid him, tried to be the neutral girl, but he developed a kind of obsession and distrust.

_ It's like he's got a strange kind of sixth sense _ .

 

Fearful, Hermione took a few steps back.

 

"What do you want?" She asked. Hermione's expression changed from surprise to a expression of ferocity.  She knew better than to believe that Tom wanted to just talk with her.

 

"I think we have an unfinished conversation, Miss Granger." Tom walked with a side smile on his face, playing with his wand with his fingers. "But I don’t believe that here, in a corridor, is the best place to talk. Then I ask you to accompany me." He blinked a few times. "But of course, you’ll come wanting it or not." He threatened.

 

Before she could take her wand out of the holster and cast a spell, Tom made a silencing gesture, much like the working of a zipper. Hermione's mouth went silent and she was unable to say a single word, she turned and tried to run, but was quickly stopped by Tom, who took her arm, causing her to drop the book she held.

She stared at him, her eyes already filled with tears. She actually tried to stay out of reach Tom Riddle, but all the events seemed to serve as a kind of catalyst to make Tom get even more interested in her.

 

_ I tried, Harry. _

 

Tom glanced at the book she dropped, he was surprised and angry to realize what book it was. He tightened the grip on her arm.

 

"Where did you get this book?" He demanded, shaking her. It was impossible for this book to be with her because this book was currently with him. Inside his trunk, along with his belongings and more dark magic books.  _ How did she get it? _ "It doesn’t matter, you're going to tell me everything when we get to a special place. "

 

_ The Chamber? The Basilisk?  _ Hermione didn’t have much time to think, the darkness took over her and she fainted. Tom had manipulated her consciousness.

 

When she opened her eyes, a little groggy, Hermione looked at the ceiling of the Room of Requirement. She tried to stand up, raising only the torso, her heart beat faster when she saw that she was surrounded with the future Death Eaters, watching with pleasurable attention. Tom himself was in the center, looking at her in a very confident and petulantly way. He felt superior to her.

She glanced at Alphard, who pressed his lips together and locked his jaw in disgust at the situation that Hermione was in.

 

"Well, Miss Granger, I believe our conversation can already happen, don’t you think?" Tom smiled at her.

 

She crawled, making noises very similar to the noises that a mute person makes, while tears ran down her face.

 

"Oh, of course. You can’t talk. Let me help you." Tom snapped his fingers.

 

"You monster!" Hermione screamed at him.

 

"Oh, Miss. Granger, I think this is a terrible way to start a conversation." He frowned. "Allow me,"  Continued. " Crucio. "

 

Hermione was struck by the torturing spell, her body writhed and her screams echoed in the Room of Requirement. It was only seconds, but it seemed like hours.

 

"Tell me, Miss. Granger, what do you know? Who are you? Why do you have this book?" He demanded. Tom's tone changed.

 

At first, Hermione thought she would go crazy. Bellatrix Lestrange was certainly fit to practice the Cruciatus curse, but Tom ... Tom was different,  was special. It was a thousand times worse than the Bellatrix Cruciatus. The pain was so intense, that it gradually became like something deep in her mind. She no longer felt the pain as at first and did not know if she was screaming or not.

 

Every time she denied the answer to his questions, remaining silent, Tom increased the power of the Cruciatus. He realizes that she is much tougher than many of his Knights, Dolohov or Mulciber would already be begging and crying, curling up in ball form, begging for mercy for him.

In that last Cruciatus, he increased the potency of the spell as he gritted his teeth, the Knights were frightened, and Hermione's scream was deafening, but she didn’t break.  

 

Tom paused, breathing quickly. His anger rising.

 

He laughed.

 

"I must say, Miss. Granger, that I’m impressed. I confess that each of these boys presents here, would have peed in their pants if they were in the Cruciatus curse as you are." He approaches her.

 

Hermione opened her eyes, a little numb, but still with a fierce look on her face. Her throat is dry and irritated from screaming, so she's hoarse. Tom gritted his teeth as he realized that she still had that fierce look on his face. He sat on her, with one leg on either side of Hermione's body, she is still looking at him with determination.

 

"You're going to tell me what I want to know, Granger?" He asked, pointing the wand at Hermione's neck. "Or I'm going to  have to tear it from you, hm?" Tom raised one eyebrow. "Don’t doubt me, Granger. I have very effective methods." He put his forefinger and thumb to lift Hermione's chin.

 

Tom touched her hair, a thoughtful act of his curiosity to know what the texture of her hair was, and he was a little surprised to find her hair soft and silky to the touch.

 

"Don’t touch me!" She ordered, fighting against his weight on her.

 

Tom tried to control her movements, but Hermione, for all her boldness and courage, grabbed Tom's raven hair, messing up the perfect hairstyle out of his hair, yanking a few strands of his hair and spitting on Tom's face, apparently shocked, was Hermione's chance of being able to push him. She gets up quickly and calls her wand from Mulciber's hand.

 

The Knights are shocked and Dolohov is the first to take a step towards Hermione, Alphard is the first to draw his wand - because he knows that from now on, things will get worse. The others pull out their wands, ready to curse Hermione.

 

Tom rose slowly, wiping Hermione's spit with the sleeve of his shirt in the process, he laughed softly, but when he looked at her, his eyes were glowing red.

 

"The next one who takes a step will join her," Tom threatened.

 

The Knights, very fearful of Tom's anger, step back, out of sight of Riddle. Nobody wants to be the lost target.

 

"I must admit that Gryffindor fits you well. Bold, fearless, foolish. With an undeniable desire for death." His grip on the wand increases. "You, Miss Granger, knew how to irritate me. I know this is going to give me more trouble, you know? But I'm sure I can manage everything in the end. However, you gave me so much anger, that I'm in the mood to kill you. What do you think of that? "

 

"It will not be today, Riddle. Do you want to know everything I know? Well, I see you, Riddle. I know your tricks and the masks you put on for everyone else. The perfect boy?" Hermione snorted. "No one is more _ pathetic _ here than you."

 

Hermione convinced herself that she really had a wish of death. Still, she couldn’t stop talking. _ Who did Tom Riddle think he was to think he could threaten her? _ She would probably die someday, but it wouldn’t be today.

 

Riddle was so angry that he began to breathe faster, his magic came to life and he let the wand be the conductor of his fierce magic.

 

" Avada Kedavra! "

He shouted, pointing his wand at Hermione. The Knights' eyes widened savagely as they saw the green light emanating from the tip of  Riddle's wand, they tried to hide, even if they weren’t the target of that curse. And Hermione...Hermione was there, but she was ready. She saw in his red eyes the intention of using that Unforgivable Curse and she was prepared for it. Harry had often spoken of how he managed to get out of his various clashes with Voldemort. She concentrates because she knows what will happen and holds Harry's wand - which is hers for now. - with both hands. It is when the magical shock occurs, the spells - both conjured at the same time - met and clashed against each other. Both the magic of Tom and of Hermione are felt by the other occupants of the Room of Requirement. It's the Priori Incantatem. Their wands remained connected, a thousand rays rising above Hermione and Tom, crisscrossing around them until they were enclosed in a golden dome- shaped web, a cage of light, protecting the two. There was no "echo" because neither of the two wands managed to defeat the other, it was a tie.

 

Tom is brilliant, from a very young age, he is a great duelist, even without having real battles. It's his magic, he's too strong, he has magic to spare, but finding an equal is something new to him. Try to enchant her didn’t work, try to break her didn’t work and now he is tied with her in a duel. His wand is attached to her wand, his anger is diminishing as he can’t break the bond between the two wands. He doesn't understand what's going on.

 

Tom again underestimated Hermione. He thought she didn’t know what the Room of Requirement was, that she did not know how the Come and Go Room worked, but Hermione knew this Room very well and knew that this Room would become whatever the occupant wanted most. Hermione took advantage of the fact that the desire of Tom Riddle and the others in the Room was weak and strongly desired that the Room is transformed into a labyrinth, capable of separating each occupant from that room and showing her the exit.

 

The Room attended Hermione's request and thick concrete walls were erected between Tom and Hermione, between Hermione and all the other Knights. The interference and Hermione broke the Priori Incantatem. Hermione turned her back and the Room was already with the doors open for Hermione and she ran with all her efforts out of the Come and Go Room.

 

Before Tom could force his magic over hers, a concrete wall began to come between him and Granger, she managed to undo the bond between the two wands, the Room had become a labyrinth, and he knew there was something to do with Granger. He undoes Hermione's desire, asking the Room to become as was before, giving him time to see Hermione running away.

 

_ She slipped through my fingers _ , Tom thought.  

 

 The Knights look frightened at Tom, who has an icy look on his face. He growls and cast some curses in random directions, almost hitting Lestrange and Malfoy.

Tom has more questions than answers, however, he didn’t come out empty-handed. He has the book, that Granger supposedly stole from him.  

 

Her muscles were sore from Tom's torturing spell, her throat also didn’t escape this description, due to the screams she gave inside the Room of Requirement, and despite her body requesting immediate rest, she found the strength to run back to the Gryffindor  Tower, where she thought she would be safe.

  
  


_ Tell Dumbledore everything, don’t be stupid Hermione _ ! She thought.  _ Show him the images about Tom and end it all at once. _ A part of her mind spoke.  _ Yeah, do it and break the whole timeline. You will probably hurt your existence and the existence of your friends if you do. _ The other part of her mind spoke.

 

In the end, Hermione only breathed more relieved by being in a place away from Tom Riddle, putting a hand to her chest - trying to soothe the muscles in her chest and lungs. Hermione threw herself on one of the sofas in the Common Room and squeezed the wand in her hand.

 

_ I lost the book. _ She thought angrily.  _ The only chance of trying to find an answer and I let Riddle take the book _ . Hermione gritted her teeth.  _ I have to find a way to get the book back. _

 

Grunting in pain, she drags her feet to the female dormitory. Hermione's roommates are already asleep and Hermione doesn’t have to make much effort to fall asleep either.

 

When Hermione woke in the morning, her body felt even sorer than before, she took one of the muscle pain potions she had in the medical kit in her bag. Relieved, but not improved so much. What gave her strength to face that day was the anger she was feeling about Tom Riddle.  She was like a ferocious lioness, people who cross her path today had to be careful.

 

She already has an idea of how to retrieve the book, but for this, she needs Tom Riddle to be a little far away. Far enough for her to be able to transform into him with the last Polyjuice potion she has in her bag. It's the worst idea she could have, but it's the only one that gets her into the Slytherin Common Room, where the book probably is. She needs hair from Tom Riddle and if Alphard is really reliable, she'll test him now.

 

At breakfast, Bilius and Algie are trying to talk to her, but Hermione is serious and quiet, her eyes glaring at the Slytherin table and the members. She sees the looks that Tom's gang gives her and it annoys her so much that she gets up from the table, abandoning breakfast. Ectur follows her, worried about her state of mind.

 

He touches her arm and she grunts through aching muscles, Ectur frowned.

 

"Hermione, are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine, Ectur." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t worry."

 

Ectur did not seem very convinced by her words and paid close attention to her walk and behavior. The first lesson she has is Herbology, being a Gryffindor / Ravenclaw class. Hermione can’t say that she was really focused on the lesson, humbly saying, she's already been through the fifth year, but that’s not the reason why she is so deconcentrated, it’s anger. A kind of anger bubbling inside her, giving her a feeling of discomfort, snorting every five minutes.

 

Her facial expression is clear - today she is for few friends - low brows, lips like a thin line, tight jaw, a bright, fierce look and uncontrollable, loose hair. That's how Tom Riddle and his gang met her when they passed her in the hall. Rosier and Mulciber do not know how to react to her presence, they were unsure of what to do, but in general, everyone maintains a stoic expression. Hermione can see the glow of anger in Tom's gaze, few would notice, especially because he opens a smile. Imitating a 'welcome' expression.

 

Hermione's bubbling rage threatens to burst, but she is adamant about her role here. She controls herself.

"Miss Granger, you're-" Tom has his sentence cut off as Hermione walks past them straight, she doesn’t even look at any of them, mostly ignoring him.

 

He wanted to play with her psychologist, torture her in public, manipulate her and know how much she told of their meeting last night, but he wasn’t prepared for it. Tom blinks, his facial expression falls a little, especially his smile. She passes between him and Abraxas, her movement makes him smell the perfume of red fruits that are in her hair. No, he wasn’t prepared for this kind of behavior. He expected the fear in her eyes, tears, an old attempt to run or bargain with him, even if she later begged him for mercy, but he didn’t expect to be ignored.

Tom breathed more quickly, his temper changing. Oh, she can actually activate conflicting feelings in him and that's not welcome.  

 

He turned, casting a look at Granger's back.

 

"Miss Granger." It is Abraxas, who speaks, demanding that she turn. She simply ignores it.

 

"Miss Granger, why are you doing this? Did I somehow hurt you for you to ignored me? If I did, I ask your pardon, it was certainly an unnoticed mistake on my part. "

 

Tom says, his voice with false concern. Oh, Tom plays with her,  _ two can play this game and win who is the best _ . They have audience, students who lick the floor wherever he goes - no matter the House.

 

Even with his theater, she ignores it.

 

"Granger." It's Dolohov who chases her, taking her arm. Dolohov has a short temperament, his patience is very limited and now, Hermione is his target. She added Dolohov's rancor list the night in the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione is prepared and with a simple movement, she turned and pointed the wand at Dolohov.

 

"Don’t touch me," She commands.

 

They have  audience, but she doesn’t care about it, even though all the students are looking with interest at what is happening.

 

Tom breathed in.  _ Oh, the magic. _ Tom is an admirer of magic because magic was the only thing that has never failed with him, he feels the magic like no one else will ever feel and he believes that magic is the only thing that matters. Then, feeling the strong magic of Hermione, the wand waiting to be a conductor of such magic is amazing and manages to catch his attention. He sees the magic differently and can see her magic, acting around her, intensifying the environment and it’s like ... like him. It somehow equals him and he doesn’t know how to handle it.

 

He really doesn’t know how to deal with her. Last night was a fucking disaster, a catastrophe and he didn’t control his impulses, she saw something she shouldn’t and she's alive and he doesn’t know how to handle it. She prevented a Death Curse - no one can stop a Death Curse, no one could ever stop any curse that he really wanted to do, but here she is. She stopped it. - She fought against his Cruciatus, she did not break and acted against him and he lost.

 

_ No, he really didn't _ . Tom tries to calm his wounded ego. _ It was a tie.  _ A fucking tie and it never happened to him. He just doesn't know how to handle it.

 

Tom is divided between the interest of who she is or the threat she represents. If he can’t break her and undo that kind of attitude she has, then he'll be leaving loose ends, someone who doubts him. Of course, he has a thousand people in favor of him against one, but this 'one' has an ally that is the stone in his shoe. Granger is in the Gryffindor House, right under Dumbledore's nose, she has free access to the Deputy Headmaster's office and shit, Dumbledore protects her. She’s a loose end, who saw him casting a Death Curse. She's a loose end.

 

However, there is something wrong. He feels, he sees. He doesn’t know where Granger's interest and loyalty are. _ With Dumbledore? _ He was beginning to doubt it.  _ If she is Dumbledore's new favorite student, then she is a failed student. Her attitudes don’t match with Dumbledore's idealism. _ You see, he's not really complaining,  _ but the girl who is Dumbledore's new pupil tries to hang Dolohov _ ?  _ Or can you feel the Dark Magic? And read the darkest magic book? _ Her actions put him in check.  _ Who is she? What does she really want? Is she like him? Is she manipulating Dumbledore? _ Oh, he likes that last version.  _ If so, then she is more precious and poisonous than I thought. _ Being able to wrap the old half-moon glasses on her little pinkie.

_ And the book ... She didn’t steal it. _ His book was still with him, in his place, with his belongings. Tom stayed a long time in the night, looking at the two books alike. _ What would a Gryffindor girl be doing with such a book? Having her own added to her personal collection? _ So he had asked the question for himself for the tenth time:  _ Is she like me? The answers are there, magic, the duel, the tie, the academic interests.  _ He doesn’t know what to do with it.

 

"Miss Granger, why are you doing this?" Tom asked, trying to get closer to her.

 

She still has her wand up, this time pointing at him. She snorted at Tom's question and then smirked, before turning and walking away. He looks at Granger moving away from him. Bold, but foolish, she has supposedly offended the Hogwarts golden boy in some way, if depends of the other girls and even the other boys, Granger is a dead person. So, it's delicious to play with people's psychological in public.

Hermione feels like a mess. She’s starting to understand better the kind of pressure Harry was having with Voldemort always there, waiting for the slaughter. She is currently in the office of the Deputy Headmaster, stroking Fawkes - which is the only thing that calms her recently and Fawkes seems to notice and let her gladly touch his feathers.

 

"Alphard spoke to me." She tells Dumbledore, who is writing on the parchment, not taking her eyes off Fawkes. "He told me that you asked him to help me. Why him? "

 

"Mr. Black is an interesting young man, I must say, I was surprised that he had entered the Slytherin House. He seems to have distinct ways of thinking different from his Housemates." Dumbledore is still writing on the parchment. "I dare say, Miss Granger, as I believe you know, that the recent ideological positions in the wizarding world are influenced by pureblood families. Many of the members of these families reside in the Slytherin House and your blood status may not please everyone." He looks up from the parchment to her.

 

"Why Alphard? Why tell him?" She asked.

 

"Mr. Black seems to have a tolerance for the status of your birth, something unusual in the Black family. He seemed like the right person who can work on Slytherin House to mitigate any facts that might occur against you."

 

"How much does he really know? He knows that I came from the future?"

  
  


" Mr. Black is only aware of your blood status. I suppose our idea is to keep your identity hidden."

 

" Good," Hermione murmured, turning back to Fawkes.

 

It's a few minutes past, before ...

 

" Granger." Hermione hears Dumbledore's voice behind her, she turns and Dumbledore is looking directly into the eyes.  _ Legilimency _ . He looks at her and nothing happens, but Hermione can feel that light creep of Dumbledore trying to enter subtly through her Occlumency shields. "Good, very good, Miss. Granger." Dumbledore walks away from her. "I must say you are a quick and formidable apprentice."

 

"Thank you." Hermione sighed. "Professor Dumbledore, what happened in Hogsmeade? Were those people really allies of Grindelwald? "

 

"I'm afraid your fear is real, Miss Granger. Those men were from Grindelwald and I believe he knows about your arrival. He, like everyone else, felt it when you arrived. "

 

" But how did he know I was in the Hog’s Head Inn? "Hermione asked.

 

"I believe, Miss Granger, that the Time-Turner trapped in your neck is to blame. There is strong and unique magic in him, but that is still discreet as if he did not want to attract attention. Few would be able to notice such magic. "

 

" So he's tracking me down because of the Time-Turner magic? "

" That would be a way of saying it. Grindelwald is Grindelwald, a powerful wizard, that's why he has a notion of Time-Turner. But I believe magical barriers can hide the presence. "

 

"Like Hogwarts." She finished and Dumbledore nodded. "How is Aberforth? When we left the Hog’s Head Inn, he was fighting some of the pursuers. "

 

"My brother is certainly hard to beat. He's fine. "

 

"That's very good. I'm so happy he's okay. What about France?" Hermione asked anxiously. "Was there really an attack?"

 

"Yes," Dumbledore confirmed. "The British Ministry of Magic with the French Ministry of Magic are deciding what to do."

 

"They're going to unite the countries to try to end Grindelwald," Hermione realized.

 

"But it's relative," Dumbledore said. "Many people in power are in favor of Grindelwald's cause, even if they don’t publicly assume."

 

"Yes, I know." Hermione lowered her eyes. "However, it is dangerous. If Grindelwald knows the location of this meeting - which may or may not occur - then he will kill all the representatives. Or he can leave alive those who join him," she said. "He's already taking over Magical Europe, isn’t? That's why it's so hard to catch him. "

 

Dumbledore let out a sorry sight. "Yes"

 

But Hermione knows more, even though it’s terrible to see Grindelwald's invasion and dominion with her own eyes, she knows that in the end, he will fail. At this very moment, she was looking at the only one capable to stop Grindelwald. Dumbledore. He wants to avoid dueling against Grindelwald, but he will not escape it and soon he will be victorious.

 

With compassion, Hermione touches Dumbledore's shoulder.

 

"Everything's going to be okay, professor. I truly believe in that."

 

**o0o**

 

Hermione is getting more and more annoyed, if she has to divert any more silly spells, the next person casting some spell toward her will be hit by a Bombarda.

 

It's really weird how Riddle and his gang have a kind of fan club or whatever that was. ' The crazy fanatical girls' as Alphard had said. Hermione is no stranger to this kind of behavior, she saw it with Krum, with Malfoy, with Diggory, with Harry and his fame of 'The Chosen One' and even with Ron in the sixth year, but to this day she couldn’t understand how some people can be stalkers. She just rolls her eyes at this kind of behavior and gets even angrier at Riddle for putting his fan club to look like a shadow chasing after her.

 

She waits for everyone to enter Duel Club class, it's the last class before the OWL's, waiting for Alphard. Incredibly, he's always late for class.

 

"Hermione?" It's Alphard's voice. Hermione pulled him into a corner.

 

"I need your help," she says flatly. Alphard frowned.

 

"What?" He asked.

 

"I need your help," she repeats.

 

"Are you okay?" He's worried. "I mean, after yesterday, you know what happened." No one talks about what Riddle does in the Room of Requirement. "You were tortured in  _ that curse _ and escaped of  _ that other curse _ ," he whispered.

 

"I-I'm fine," she responds.

 

"No one escapes of that curse, Hermione. Nobody escapes from Riddle. And you did it. He wants your head now. "

 

" You think I don’t know?" She replied, letting her anger leave with her words. "Why are you walking with them, Alphard? You're not like any of them. "

 

Alphard looked surprised, but recovered his facial expression quickly.

 

"I saw what Riddle does to those he considers an enemy, I don’t want to stand in the direction of the tip of his wand."

 

"Is that it? Because of fear? "

 

" Oh, please, Hermione, I'm a survivor. The Hat didn’t accept my request to stay at the Slytherin by chance. Inside the Slytherin House, things are different. You don’t know anything. "

 

Hermione hesitated.

 

"All right," she says more composedly. "I still want your help. You promised that you would be by my side, just in different colors. Prove. "

 

“ What do you want? "

 

"I want you to get Riddle away from Slytherin's dormitory. I want you to tell me where  his dorm is and the access password to get in."

 

" Do you want to invade the Slytherin House? Are you crazy? "

 

" Riddle stole something from me and I want it back. "

 

" Even if I do all this, the other students will recognize you."

 

" Luckily, I know how to take care of myself. Help me, Alphard. "

 

" You know, if Riddle finds out, you're going to die, don’t you? "

 

" He already tried to kill me, remember? "

 

Alphard seemed uncertain about accepting to help Hermione, it was too risky. If Riddle found out that he had betrayed him, he and Hermione would have targets in the back. Riddle would never let this go unpunished.

 

"Please, Alphard." Hermione intensifies the request.

 

Shit, he doesn’t know why he's going to help her.

 

"All right." He accepted after a while. "We have to set a day for that to happen. I'll tell you the password and his dormitory, but do nothing but take what's yours. If Riddle finds out, you will also be putting me in the line of fire. "

 

" I would never say about you. "

 

" After OWL's, it's better. On the last day of class. I'll tell you all the information and it will give me time to think of a pretext for Riddle. "

 

" Thank you." She smiled at him gently.

 

"Whatever."

 

The two of them enter the Dueling Club room together. Their sudden entry is noted by Professor Galatea and some students. Galatea always implied Black's delays and today is no different.

 

“Mr. Black, Miss. Granger would be kind enough to set an example for the other students and take part in a duel. "

 

Hermione grunted internally, Alphard froze as he felt the eyes of Riddle and his companions.

"Come on, Alphard. Finish with her." Mulciber whispered Alphard gulped.

 

"Huh ... Professor Merrythought, I'm not feeling very well. I think I'd better not duel." Alphard said. He is not crazy  enough to step on the duel area with Granger on one side and Tom sleeping in the same dorm as he.

 

“Mr. Black - "  Galatea begins, but is interrupted by Tom.

 

" Please, professor, allow me to duel with Miss. Granger. She was brilliant in the last class. "

 

Rosier and Avery exchange glances at Tom's request.   Professor Galatea cannot refuse a request from the golden boy, Alphard has gotten rid of it, but who is actually hanged in the act is Hermione. She almost says she's not feeling well either.

  
  


"All right." Professor Galatea agrees.

 

Tom is waiting for all that behavior Hermione does while dueling, but she doesn’t give him this pleasure. She didn’t take off the Gryffindor robe, didn’t wrap the sleeves of her shirt, and he interpreted it as if she thought he was unworthy of her.

She is on the other side of the duel area, looking at him fiercely determined. He wants a rematch, he doesn’t accept what happened in the Room of Requirement, but he cannot begin the duel with fire.

 

He waits, but she casts no spell in his direction, forcing him to move first. Tom casts some simple spells, but she diverted them all. She makes no move, she's defensive. He begins casting more spells, spells that are more powerful and specific to battles, but she deflected and lifted a shield.

 

Tom's anger shines in his eyes.

 

_ He's going to try to kill me. _ That's all Hermione thinks.

 

"Expelliarmus!" The two scream simultaneously, the 'sisters' wands connect again, the Priori Incantatem occurs. The strength of the spell is so great that both are thrown to the extreme sides of the room. The noise of their bodies hitting the floor is loud, but the two rise. Tom has an angry and surprised look, looking directly at Hermione. She has a more fearful look, but not less angry.

 

She was preventing this from happening. Tom noticed. Whatever the connection between the two wands, she didn’t want it to happen.

 

"Great Merlin! Are you okay? You must go to Hospital Wing now." Galatea orders.

 

"I'm fine, Professor Merrythought," Tom reassures her.

 

Hermione can't say the same. Her body still has the effects of Tom's Cruciatus curse and now, being thrown across the room, it just made her limp more.

 

"Miss Granger, you must go to the Hospital Wing. Mr. Riddle, accompany her. "

 

"No need, Professor Merrythought, I can go to the Wing by myself," Hermione said. Not even in dreams, she'll be alone with Riddle after the duel.

 

"I insist, Ms. Granger. I was the one who asked for the duel, I'm responsible for your state of health now. "

 

Hermione thought of screaming for help.

 

"Let me take her, Professor." Ectur appeared as the knight in Hermione's shining armor. Hermione smiled at him and looked at the teacher, but Tom intervened.

 

"Mr.Prewett, let me take her. I am responsible for the accident, you must attend the class and also, it is my duty as a prefect. "

 

There is no way to argue with the golden boy and responsible prefect. Soon Hermione finds herself walking on Riddle's side in empty corridors, heading toward the Wing, after a duel. It's a nightmare. Hermione tries to walk faster,  but her leg won't let her, she wants to get away from him as fast as she can.

Riddle walked beside her in silence, without making any menacing movements. She's surprised, but Hermione knows best,  _ it's a trap. It's a trap. _

And she's not wrong, as soon as they're away from the classrooms and in an empty hallway near the Wing door, Riddle's peaceful expression changed, he turned and cornered her against the wall,  wand pointing at her temple. But Hermione is also prepared and pointed the wand on Tom's neck, right under his mouth. He smiled at that.

 

This is Hermione's golden chance.

 

"Get away from me," she ordered.

 

"No, no, no, Miss Granger. I'm the one making rules here. "

 

"I want you to get away from me." Hermione grabbed Tom's hair by pulling a few strands and shoved him.

 

"Who do you think you are?" His eyes glow red, he grabbed Hermione's hair as well and placed her against the wall again. "Who are you, hm? Loyal to Dumbledore? I think not. What are you doing with that book? ? "

 

" It's none of your business! "She pushed him again, this time slapping Tom's face.

 

It's a ‘slap!’ very loud in the ears. Tom turned his face, his pale cheek soon turning a reddish color. Tom's raven hairs are falling against his face. His face slowly returns to the ideal position, there is no red glow in his eyes, but his eyes are the purest green color she has ever seen.  He looks at her amazed. The big, bright green eyes. Slowly he touches his red cheek and then looks at his hand as if his hand were a Boogeyman. His hands shake.

"You ... You hit me," He says softly as if he didn’t believe what he was saying. He looked at her.

 

His eyes are green in a second, in the other, they're red, in a blink of an eye.  He raises his wand and points it at her head. That's when Hermione knows, she's gone too far. 

 

The door to the Wing opens, and they both glance in that direction.

 

The matron opens the door, finding Riddle and Granger. He's got one hand on her shoulder, in a weird grip, but she doesn't notice it. All she sees is his smile.

 

"Mrs. Derwent, we came to the Wing because Miss Granger was injured during the duel in the Dueling Club. "Riddle said.

 

"Oh, come here young lady."

 

Mrs. Derwent points to one of the beds, Riddle is reluctant to let Hermione go, but the matron doesn’t notice. All She realized is how messy his hair is and how his cheek is red and how Miss Granger also has messy hair and a frightened and limping look.

 

Riddle leaves Hermione in the Hospital Wing, leaving, not before giving her a look. When he returns from the patrol at night, his followers are gathered in the Common Room as usual.

 

"What happened to your face?" Abraxas is the first to notice.

 

"That looks like a slap mark," Mulciber commented. "What is it? Have you been rejected by a girl?" He laughed lightly, but he swallowed his words like acid, by the mortal look Tom gives him.

 

But Alphard knows who possibly gave that mark on Riddle's cheek.

 

Tom goes straight to his dorm. Already lying on his bed and with the curtains around the bed, he touched the cheek that she hit. Of course, he could have healed himself, but for some reason, he didn’t. His cheek is usually pale, now is red and hot.  _ Fierce, aggressive, strong, uncontrollable, that's what she is _ and he doesn’t know how to deal with her, but he's having a dizzying feeling.

 

**o0o**

 

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Alphard asked for the thousandth time.

 

"I have to." Hermione is determined. "You already know you have to keep him away for at least an hour."

 

"Good luck." He wished to Hermione. "You'll really need it."

 

The OWL's finished and she's not worried about it. She waited all these days for this moment. After what happened in the Wing, Riddle ignored her. What Hermione didn’t know if made her calmer or more worried. She so diverted from the spells of his fan club that it became a routine.  

People were a little flustered with the end of OWL's and for tomorrow to be the last day before the Hogwarts Express for the start of the summer vacation. She combined everything with Alphard for today, he would remove Riddle from the Slytherin dorm by at least an hour, would have to be long enough for her to find the book.

 

"Thank you, Alphard," she murmured to him again.

 

He, very disconcerted, confirmed. Alphard still didn’t understand why he was helping Granger, of course, he made a promise to Dumbledore to help her, but it was being too risky. What he was doing was going against Riddle, which is practically going against the whole Slytherin House. He understood that what Riddle was doing was 'wrong' on some level, but shit, joining Riddle's personal circle was a free pass for less trouble-or so he thought.

 

He glanced at Hermione again, before turning away.  Merlin would help this girl, Alphard wanted less information as possible about what was happening, but he would do what he promised her.

 

Hermione watched Alphard leave, the count on the clock started from now. She removes two small jars from her school bag, one containing Riddle's hair that she took off in the incident outside the Wing door, the other was the last jar of the Polyjuice potion she had.

 

She took the strand of Tom's hair very carefully, bringing the hair up to her eye level before adding the hair to the potion. Before drinking, she transfigured her clothes into the masculine version of the Slytherin uniform. The Polyjuice potion became dark, a black color with some green reflections, when she drank, the taste of the potion was the taste of Death - if she could describe it that way. It was like swallowing ice cubes that cooled her throat and burned at the same time. It was slimy and for a moment she thought she was tasting the taste of a snake's skin - even though she had never tasted such a taste. - but only at the end, in the last sip, the potion became sweet, but it wasn’t enough for her to remember the taste or to take the other experiences.

  
  


When she finished, Hermione looked at the mirror in the ladies' bathroom, the famous Moaning Myrtle bathroom. It was certainly ironic the place she chose to become Riddle, but this is one of the only places that students don’t dare to enter. The moment she entered the bathroom, she wondered where Myrtle was, Hermione called for her a few times, but Myrtle didn’t show up.

 

As she was still staring at the mirror, her stomach turned and she felt a little sick, her skin began to bubble like hot wax as it slowly turned to Riddle's pale skin.

 

_ This was literally the worst idea that I could have _ , she thought.  

 

In the end, Hermione looked in the mirror, watching as her face became the perfect face of Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. She took a deep breath, staring at her reflection-now Tom's appearance-and took a deep breath, looking into her eyes - now green. She took a few breaths, taking courage to leave the bathroom. She swallowed and settled, ten minutes had passed, time was running. She left the bathroom.

 

With quick steps, she headed toward the dungeons, everyone looked at her, seeing Tom. The girls smiled like fools to her, the boys made room for her, all because they thought she was Tom Riddle. Hermione now understood the kind of popularity Tom had.Some looked at her with expressions of confusion, but let it pass. 

 

In the dungeons, the Slytherins looked respectfully at her, and very eagerly she murmured the password to enter the Slytherin Common Room. They found Riddle's behavior strange, it was unusual for him to demonstrate his expressions, but of course no one commented.

When she entered the Slytherin Common Room, she sucked her breath. Divided between something classic and somber, the Common Room was up to its upper-class members, but what surprised her most was the silence that formed with the few people there. They all looked at Hermione - Tom - with some respect and admiration, hoping to hear what she - he- would have to say. But Hermione - Tom - very clumsily went upstairs to the men's dormitory. Troubled and anxious, it wasn’t something common in Tom Riddle.

 

_ Dormitory, dormitory _ . It was all Hermione thought. _ Last bed, the bed farthest in the room, near the window. _ She was passing on the information Alphard gave in her mind.  _ Last closet, last trunk. _

 

She rushed into the closet, feeling the magical protections. She supposed that the magical protections for Tom's housemates or for other people were complicated protections, but not for her. She was Hermione Granger, the girl who was part of the Golden Trio.

 

She searched in the closet, the dresser by the bed, that now she was looking. Hermione was surprised to find the few things, very well organized. She was so focused that when she came across the diary, she froze. Her hand began to tremble, with the slight inclination of the diary to be so close. The  Horcrux. But she felt the magical protection in him more powerful than all the others, it was too dark. Dark Magic. And was whispering to her.

 

She ran, abandoning her search. Feeling dizzy, nauseous, strange. Tom's dark magic was infiltrating her, whispering things, crawling, licking her skin. She just had to run away, running away from that thing. Desperate, she ran away like a five-year-old girl. Running, she passed by Abraxas, who looked for her in a very suspicious way.

 

She needed to get back to a safe place.

 

Upon arriving at Myrtle's bathroom, Hermione ran to one of the sinks and poured water on her face a few times, trying to feel firmer and less dizzy. In the mirror, the reflection of Tom Riddle stared at her. Not even the frightened look on her face had undone perfection on Tom's face.

 

What aroused Hermione from her dizziness was a few clapping. She looked toward the entrance, the real Tom was there, with Alphard on his diagonal.

 

"You're so interesting, Miss Granger." Tom smiled in his last words. She looked at Alphard accusingly and he tilted his head to the side. "You know, Miss Granger, being friends with some ghosts or having people loyal to you, has its advantages." Tom wasn’t looking to her, he was contemplating, philosophizing.

 

Alphard approached her, circling, looking closely.

 

"And didn’t she really become you?" He arched one eyebrow, talking to Tom.

 

Tom looked at Granger, seeing her transformed into him. He looked up and down.

 

"Leave us," Tom commanded.

 

Alphard glanced over his shoulder at Hermione and glanced at Tom's back and then left. Tom stood there, hands behind his back, waiting silently for Alphard to leave.

 

Hermione, transformed into Tom and Tom Riddle himself, were alone in that bathroom that was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

 

Tom approached with calm steps, deliberately slow, looking at her from top to bottom, a strange gleam in his eyes. Hermione didn’t understand what that look meant, what was going on in his mind, it is likely that no one would ever decipher. He was releasing magic into the air, it was in his aura. Powerful, domineering, this was his magic.

 

He circled her, watching intently, his hand sometimes touching the Slytherin robe she wore. In one of his moments, his hand moved up her arm to her shoulder. He circled once more, stopping right in front of her. Now that she was transformed into him, they were in the same height. Tom Riddle looked at her, looking deep into her eyes, meeting his own green eyes, but they conveyed emotions that Tom Riddle himself could never convey.

 

She didn’t look away, they were a few inches away, his gaze had a strange glow and she noticed a kind of smile before she felt his lips against hers.

 

Tom was kissing her. Crushing his lips against hers, surprised, she tried to pull away, but he pressed her against him. His tongue invaded her mouth, savoring her taste. He pushed her against the bathroom sink, she was between his body and the sink, being kissed. In a quick move, Tom turned her to face the mirror, he kissed her neck a few times before placing her head over her shoulder and with one hand, he held her jaw, making her to look at the reflection in the mirror.

 

His eyes flashed in a gray-green, a smile on his face.

 

"Don’t you think you're perfect like that, Miss Granger?"

 

He asked, looking at the reflection just as she was looking. In the mirror, the image of two Tom Riddle was reflected. One domineering and another submissive and kissed. The real Tom Riddle was holding Hermione Granger tightly in his arms.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daboia russelii, also known as Russell's Viper, the sixth most poisonous snake in the world.
> 
> Author Note: One of you asked me how I imagine Tom Riddle in a private message, so... I imagine Tom Riddle as Frank Dillane in Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince


	8. Acanthophis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone who is following the story, for the 8582 hits, 70 bookmarks, 364 Kudos. Thank you guys, for giving to me and the story a chance.
> 
> And my most sincere thanks to Seanymphe, sikaloolala, aga1127, Marzean876, Kathalea, beautiful, trulymadly, jamespottrr, Sakuwama, Yasmina, Azera and Kaja. For showing their kindness, for their affection and for commenting.
> 
> This chapter was more focused on Tom Riddle
> 
> Remembering that English is not my mother tongue. So forgive me for any mistake in the text. I have given my best and hope it is good for you.
> 
> If there is an error in the text, let me know so that I can correct it;
> 
> Love U, guys!

_Chapter 7.  Acanthophis  _\- _The Mortal Kiss._

 

Moving away from her, Tom tightened his grip on her jaw, forcing Hermione to look at him. The Polyjuice potion was losing the effect and Hermione's features began to appear. The hair that was once dark returned the brown tones that belonged to Hermione and began to grow again and rebel, the green of the eyes turned to be light brown, the face became feminine again and she was back to her normal height.

Tom watched her from above, watching with interest the effect of the potion ending.

The kiss didn’t mean anything. Nothing but the urge to tease her, to play with her psychologist, to torture. If there was any interest, it would be nothing more than the love that Tom Riddle had of his own image. After all, he considered himself perfect and unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong. Regarding his appearance, Tom had no flaws.

 

Not taking eyes from Tom's furious expression, Hermione felt his fingers sink into her cheeks, while he forced her to look at him. A rebellious tear ran down her face.

 

"Don't tell me you're afraid, Miss Granger?" He murmured close to her, making her feel the warm breath of mint on her skin.

 

Hermione didn’t dare to reply, she didn’t think she would be able to control the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling, she would probably scream and cry and yet,  Hermione did not stop staring at him.

He looked at her, his eyes taking longer than necessary, recording her expression in his mind. Tom swallowed, still feeling her taste on his tongue.

 

"Let's make things clear, Miss Granger." A soft threat was present in Tom's voice. There was a slight tilt to the upper corner that indicated the shadow of a smile, a sneer. Feeling the hand that was holding her by the cheek, fading into the tangle of her hair, Hermione found herself being forced to tilt her head back, Tom Riddle's pale, long fingers pulling a few strands of her curly hair. His wand pointed at the small space between her eyes.

 

"You're not going to do things like that anymore," he ordered. "You will respect, you will obey me. The book, Dumbledore and all the other things I want to know, you're going to tell me." With a muffled laugh, Tom continued. "Otherwise, I'll make sure to make your life a hell." He threatened, very serious this time.

 

"So, I suggest," Tom's voice suddenly softened, a sudden and almost unbelievable change. "to you cooperate with me, because all I have done for you is not a third of what I am capable of."

 

He looked around the ladies' room, his gaze discerning as a Machiavellian smile took over his face.

"You know, I hear you're a good friend of Bilius Weasley and Ectur Prewett, even Longbottom and Lupin. You wouldn’t want to see your friends harmed, would you? No, I don’t think so. I thought for a while..." Tom released her, one of his hands holding his wand and the other hand, with his index finger tapping his chin in a thoughtful gesture."Which one of them would you care more about. Which one of them would you cry and beg for me to stop? Of course, we can make theory a practice, after all, they are all available. What do you think, Granger? "  

 

He turned to her.

 

"I'm giving you options, consider yourself fortunate. It's so much more than I give most people. You can go the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice, Granger. I'm very willing to do any of the options, believe me." Appearing pleased with himself, Tom took a deep breath. "Take the vacation time to think about which of the options you will choose. I must also remember to be careful about what you’re going to say. You've seen things you shouldn't, so... to make sure you don't spread certain comments around... There's a curse on your tongue."

 

" You're lying," Hermione accused, her breath racing as she considered the possibility.

 

" I'm?" Tom raised one eyebrow. "I would not test it if I were you." A victorious, prepotent grin appeared on Tom's face. "Oh, don’t cry, Granger. I liked you better when you were ferocious, but sometimes, all we need is the right person to show us where we belong. " Tom patted Hermione on the head as if she was some kind of dog. "Thank me later, Granger. For showing you, what's your place. "

 

Proud of himself, Tom left the bathroom, leaving Hermione alone in the ladies' room.

 

Hermione was shaking, a few tears falling down her face as she stared at the door of the ladies' room, where Riddle had just left. Her tremors were more by imminent rage than by fear, though deep down there was a trail of fear that Tom Riddle could do with her.

 

 _Like a fool_ , that's how she behaved. She is without the book, she is with Riddle's threats and a curse on her tongue given by a deadly kiss. But the worst part is related to Alphard Black. She fell for his charms and his friendly flirtation, which looked so much like Sirius Black, and especially, for his tolerance of her blood status - _and that shouldn’t even be considered a quality, because everyone here is a wizard_. But everything was a lie.

 

Still staring at the door, Hermione cried. She finally let the emotions flow, such emotions that were trapped, contained like a dam. Tears came to the hills and she began to sob. Hermione was desperate.

 

As if by suggestion, Alphard entered the ladies' room. He had a startled look, but what surprised him most was to find Hermione in Slytherin's men's clothes, her hair bristling and rebellious, while she was weeping and shaking.

 

"Hermione!" He ran to her, holding her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Are you okay?"

 

Angrily, Hermione moved away from his touch. Alphard tried to hold her one more time, but she did not allow it and when she looked up at him, Alphard moved away as he noticed the anger she had in her gaze. Hermione pushed him, trying to hurt him physically, obviously, the use of the wand was more practical, but Hermione was not a torturer. She hadn’t reached that level yet.

 

"Idiot! Traitor! How dare you touch me after what you did !?" She shoved him. "Attracting Riddle here, denouncing me to him!"

 

"Did he do something?" Alphard asks, and Hermione shuddered with suggestion behind Alphard's choice of words.

 

No, he didn’t do that and Hermione thinks it's impossible for Tom to have some sort of obscure sexual desire, but perhaps it wasn’t so strange to think he was capable of such a repulsive act. After all, it would be one more thing to add to Tom Riddle's list of cruelty. However, she doubts that part, Riddle considers himself as refined and elegant. He rarely gets his hands dirty and seems to have an extremely dubious moral compass.

 

Hermione shook her head. He did many things, he tortured her, cursed her and threatened, but she will not accuse him of this kind of crime. It's the Gryffindor side of her talking louder, asking her to be fair.

 

"But what's the point?" Hermione asked accusingly. "Isn’t that what you wanted? You didn't want him to discover the truth? That he would torture me? Isn't that why you brought him here? "

 

Listening to the accusations,  Alphard replied sharply.

 

"I saved your life," he said and Hermione snorted at that comment. "You can say what you want, but nothing will change the fact that I saved you. You're smart, but you don’t seem to understand how things work. "

 

At this comment, Hermione looked at him, the tears still trickling down her face.

 

"Riddle needs to think he's always in control, that he knows everything. If he later discovered what you did, I'm afraid of what he would do to you. And to make matters worse, Moaning Myrtle found it and told about you," Alphard explained. "Riddle cannot be deceived and if he is, for a mere second, his vengeance will be worse."

 

They stared at each other for a second, before Hermione turned around and with a defeated sigh said,

 

"Just leave me alone." Her voice sounded defeated and weak. She went to a corner of the bathroom, sat on the floor and hugged her legs, hiding her face.

 

Alphard observed her for a few seconds and sighed, he walked and sat down next to her. One thing Alphard hated was seeing a girl crying. It could be his flirtatious nature or perhaps it was the education that he received to how act with the ladies, but the truth is that _a crying girl always has her reasons_. However, he seems to be more inclined to Hermione. She grew up inside him very quickly, that doesn’t mean he'll be having afternoon tea with her - both have a divergence of opinions - however, he cares for her. There is a fire in her that he has never seen in another girl. The boldness, courage, and ferocity that charmed him. He even envied her on a certain level.

 

With a wave of his wand, Alphard transfigured Hermione's clothes into Gryffindor's women's clothing.

 

"Don’t cry," he mumbled beside her, taking a few strands of her rebellious hair.

 

She looked up at him and he could see the suffering expression on her face.

 

"What went wrong, Alphard? What did I do to arouse Tom's interest? "

 

"You turned out to be an opponent." Alphard answered simply. It made sense or at least was more logical, but no one could say with a hundred percent certainty what was going on in Riddle's mind. No one ever did.

 

Hermione snorted and rested her head on Alphard's shoulder, stretching her legs and weeping and Alphard allowed himself to be her friend's shoulder. He let her cry and cry, not questioning her motives and the reason she seemed so desperate.

 

_It's a fact, girls don’t always make sense._

 

At some point, Hermione fell asleep and Alphard very slowly lifted her into his arms. He had to take her to the Gryffindor Tower to deliver her to Enid.

When he was leaving the ladies' room, he was startled to find Pearl Lovegood in the hallway. Dressed in the colors of the Ravenclaw, the girl turned her face at him, her straight blond hair so pale it almost looked platinum, contrasting with the blue hair tie that was large enough to look like mouse ears. _The girl was crazy._

Some said she was part Veela, because despite being crazy, the girl was very beautiful.

 

"Alphard," she greeted him.

 

"Pearl," he replied.

 

Pearl looked with interest at Hermione with her clear blue eyes.

 

"Is she okay?"

 

"Sleeping."

 

"Mhm... She doesn’t look very well. "

 

" She was crying." Alphard suddenly felt himself at a trial.

 

"People can die from crying," Pearl said suddenly and almost insensibly.

 

"Can?" He frowned, Alphard didn’t know if what she was saying was literal or figurative.

 

"The Broken Heart." She said as if that explained everything and that's why Alphard was sure he would never get into the Ravenclaw. In the ranking of the best students, Tom was in the first place and Pearl was second.

 

"Do you want to accompany me?" Alphard asked, and Pearl nodded. Maybe it was better that Pearl accompanies him to Gryffindor Tower, it would be very strange if he took Hermione all the way in his arms alone, as if they were a couple.

 

**o0o**

 

 _Hungry ... Hungry ... Master ... Hungry ... Alone_ \- The Basilisk was whispering in the Hogwarts pipes, chasing rats. The Queen of the Snakes - yes, queen, because the basilisk was female - was talking with Tom, following through the piping network of Hogwarts, complaining that she was hungry and that she felt alone. Obviously, the monster felt alone, it had been dormant for a long time until Tom's arrival. Tom knew he had to go into the Chamber of Secrets one more time before the summer vacation to put the Basilisk to sleep again, however, today he ignored the complaints of his monster.

 

Arriving at the Slytherin Common Room, he was greeted by Malfoy and Lestrange.

 

"My lord." Malfoy greeted him, as did Lestrange. "Do you find yourself well?" Abraxas dared to ask, probably noticing Tom's sudden change of behavior this morning. He confused Tom with Granger and now, Tom knows that little witch could play a dangerous game.

 

Tom did not deign to respond, going up the stairs to the side of the male dormitory. Abraxas may belong to the Malfoy family, which is one of the most important families of the wizarding world, but he knows his place. So stingy and prepotent, the Malfoy Family has more dirt on their hands than Tom's shoe sole, claiming to be one of the purest wizard blood that has ever existed - _what a lie_. Everyone knows and comments on how the Malfoy Family has licked the floor that the Muggle aristocracy stepped on, excluding squibs and denying involvements with muggles. So, Abraxas shouldn’t even think about questioning Tom.

 

 _That's how it has to be_ , Tom thought, already lying in his bed after doing his nightly routine. _I need to keep control of my Knights_. Tom cannot afford to vacillate his control over the Knights, otherwise, they would turn against him and Granger threatened all this control with her behavior, confronting him in front of the Knights, resisting the Cruciatus, challenging his magic.

Tom knew that the Knights whispered and if they began to doubt his power, then they would rebel and this is something he cannot accept, so ... punishing Granger was necessary, not only for himself but to reaffirm control that he has over the whole Slytherin House.

 

Well, he can’t be fooled, which brings him to Alphard Black. It didn’t go unnoticed by Tom, Alphard's behavior towards Granger or how he seemed frightened when  Moaning Myrtle told him that there was a strange girl in the ladies' room. ' _That's what I came to say, my lord,_ ' Alphard said. Curiously, he found Granger transformed into him, scared and nauseated. I can still taste it on my tongue, Tom thought.

Honestly, it wasn’t Tom's first kiss. He doesn’t see much logic in sharing saliva with people who don't matter to him, which reduces the number of people to zero. However, Tom has used his masculine beauty and flirtation to achieve the goals with other girls, other times it was out of curiosity. You see, groups of young boys with hormones at their peak, constantly talk about their experiences and desires - some desires are so dumb that they make Tom roll his eyes - but Tom is happy that much of the time he can suppress such primitive impulses and that make him so human.

 

It's dawn and Tom has not been able to close his eyes and sleep, his mind is very alert, the Basilisk is whispering, he's thinking about Granger and Tom's dorm roommates are already asleep. He is tired of lying down and with an impulse, he gets up from the bed.

 

 _Anyway, I have to put the Basilisk to sleep_ , he thought with a shrug.

 

Picking up his wand, Tom also picks up the Diary. Wearing his robe, he left the men's dormitory and the Slytherin Common Room, in the dungeons the Bloody Baron is making noise with the chains. All Hogwarts is asleep and he walks peacefully to the ladies room of Moaning Myrtle, Tom knows this castle like the palm of his hand and knows how to walk unnoticed. In the bathroom, he looks around before entering.

 

"Tom?" Moaning Myrtle says, she is levitating near the window.

 

"Hello, Myrtle." He says her name like a caress. He knows she doesn’t like to be called 'The Moaning Myrtle'. If ghosts could blush, Myrtle would look like the color of a tomato. "Thank you for today, Myrtle. What would I be without you?" Tom flirts with her, knowing the one-sided, platonic, pathetic love Myrtle feels for him. While alive, Myrtle couldn’t even see him without blushing and running to hide. The Muggle-born girl was extremely passionate about the image of the perfect boy Tom created.

 

Myrtle gets so excited that the edges of her ghostly image undulate. Tom makes the sign of silence and Myrtle confirms repeatedly, before she cannot stand in Tom's presence and fly to one of the toilets to hide. Tom stood, watching the scene, before shrugging and turning to the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets. He looked at the tap with the figure of a snake.

 

 _Open it_. He commanded in the tongue of the snakes, in that strange whistle.

 

At the same time, the tap shone with white light and began to turn, then the sink began to move. In fact, the sink was out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe big enough for a person to slip inside. Tom slipped into the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets. He didn’t quite understand why Salazar Slytherin had chosen the main entrance of the Chamber of Secrets to be a slide, but he supposed Salazar didn’t have many options to hide the Chamber.

When he had finished slipping, Tom stood up and took some of the dust off his shoulders. The hall of the Chamber lit up with the dark green color of the torches connected to the wall and as he walked, a pair of torches lit to illuminate his path. Tom stopped in front of the solid wall with the image of intertwined snakes.

 

 _Open it_. He ordered again in parseltongue.

 

The snakes' gaze seemed to light up as if they were alive, and the solid wall retracted, opening Tom's path to the true Chamber of Secrets, which lit up in the presence of the Slytherin Heir.

 

Tom stood in the center of the Chamber, looking at the statue of Salazar Slytherin with his mouth open, which meant that the Basilisk was free, hunting to feed. But Tom knows the monster will not be long in coming back since she probably felt the presence of his master. Tom's gaze flickered to the corner of the Chamber, he walked over and looked at the gray brick wall, groping until he found a more dislocated brick and pressed in. The bricks trembled and another passage opened for him.

He entered the room, looking around. Here was the 'lair' of Salazar Slytherin. There was a bookshelf never known by other wizards, books of various potions, spells, and magic were there. Some books were so obscure that black magic sang at the touch of some wizard. A fireplace that heated the room, a large bed in the colors of Slytherin and a good place to practice the alchemy of potions and spells. Obviously, Salazar Slytherin spent some of his precious time here, studying and perfecting his magic.

 

Tom sat on the bed and took a deep breath, opening the Diary, after getting a quill to write.

 

 **_Hello_ **. Tom wrote.

 

 **_Hello, Tom. How are we doing?_ ** The Diary replied.

 

 **_We’re fine. No one found out about the Chamber of Secrets and Hogwarts won’t be closed._ ** 

 

 **_What's bothering you?_ ** The Diary asked.

 

Tom mused, should he tell about Granger? Yes, he should. The Diary is made to protect him, the Diary must know about everything.

 

**_There's a girl._ **

 

 **_A girl?_ **Tom could almost hear his own voice of disbelief.

 

 **_Yes, a girl. Granger. Hermione Granger_ **.

 

He waited for the answer, even the Diary itself seemed to think. It was unusual for Tom to worry about anything and anyone, especially if it was a girl.

 

 **_What is wrong?_ ** The Diary replied.

 

**_I'd better show._ **

 

 **_Add the memory_ **. The Diary ordered.

This version of the Diary, was the old version, without the knowledge of Granger's arrival and what happened afterward. This is why The Diary must be fed with new memories, such memories that contain Tom's emotions, thus allowing the Diary to be equal to Tom himself.

 

Tom took the wand and took a deep breath before pointing the wand at his temple. A bright white line came out of Tom's head and he directed the memories into The Diary and with a gross gesture, he cut off the memory link with his wand. The Diary brightened as he received Tom's memories and emotions about recent events. Tom waited until the Daily absorbed everything.

 

 **_So...?_ ** Tom asked, asking for the Diary's opinion.

 

 **_She's different_ ** . The Diary didn’t know how to describe her better. **_S he resisted our magic, she faced us. Keep an eye on her. _ **

 

Tom smiled at the conclusion of the Diary itself. Not unlike what he himself had concluded.

 

**_See you._ **

 

 **_See you later, Tom._ ** The Diary said good-bye and then it closed.

 

Tom sighed and put the Diary in the office near the bed, sealing with a protective magic. Here, The Diary would be safe. Under the protections of Hogwarts, beneath the castle, protected by his own magic, hidden inside the Chamber of Secrets, protected by the Basilisk, in a place that only him --Tom Riddle--could open. The Horcrux was safe.

 

 _Master ... Master ..._ The Basilisk was whistling outside the room.

 

Tom left, watching the Basilisk, that great snake, standing in front of the statue of Salazar Slytherin, swallowing a rat that had just been hunted. The wall of the hiding place inside the Chamber closed behind Tom.

He went toward the snake, which slid into her scales, whistling - growling if that were possible - surrounding Tom with her large body.  She looked directly at Tom, those hypnotizing, murderous yellow eyes, but Tom wasn’t shaken by those eyes and simply tilted his head to the side. The Basilisk was, somehow, in need.

She opened her mouth, showing those big, grotesque, poisonous teeth, the drool dripping.

The Basilisk lowered her head and Tom put his hand on the scales and hard skin of the snake, and he felt the snake's breaths. She was sniffing at him, recognizing Tom. He stroked the snake a few times.

 

 _It's time to sleep_. He whistled in parseltongue for the snake. The snake retracted, showing her row of teeth, her yellow eyes shining, the snake's tail sliding from side to side. She was against the idea of sleeping again.

 

Tom smiled. The Basilisk was a very simple animal, very clean and not very demanding. She'd just been a little excited to finally use her skills after a long time of sleep.

 

 _Go to sleep._ He ordered. The snake slithered to the statue of Salazar Slytherin, entering the statue's mouth, heading for her hiding place. The statue of Salazar Slytherin closed his mouth and it was as if the giant snake had never been there.

Tom took a deep breath, lifting his chin as he stared at the statue of his ancestor. Proud of himself.

 

In the morning, before lunch, that's when he saw her. All the way to the Deputy Headmaster’s office, Tom was cursing Dumbledore mentally. That stupid old man. It was as if Tom was walking to death because he knew he would have to hand his wand to Dumbledore and that to him, it meant death.

 

He knocked on the door a few times, taking a deep breath and doing his best to keep the expression on his face stoic. The door opened by itself and he came in, surprisingly meeting Hermione there. She was sitting in an armchair near the perch, drinking tea and reading a book. She took her eyes off the book momentarily, narrowing her eyes in anger when she saw him, and then she turned her attention back to the book she held. Tom tried to read the name of the book, but her hand prevented him from seeing.

 

"Where is Professor Dumbledore?" He demanded.

 

She ignored him and he gritted his teeth at her behavior. It hadn’t been a day since their meeting in the Moaning Myrtle bathroom and she ignored it as if none of that had ever happened. That's it, he definitely hates being ignored. Whether or not moves with his supposed feelings for being an orphan or something about abandonment, Tom doesn’t give a shit. However, the truth is that she knows how to trigger conflicting feelings in him.

 

"I asked you a question," Tom says.

 

"If you didn’t notice, it's just me who's here," she answers, not taking her eyes off the book.

 

"You shouldn’t be here. What is your relationship with Dumbledore? Don’t tell me you ... "

 

He can’t finish because Hermione interrupts him.

 

"Be careful what you suggest, Riddle. I will not allow you to put my integrity and the integrity of Professor Dumbledore in check," she responds angrily.

 

Tom swallows his words.

 

"Answering your first question: Professor Dumbledore left. He used Floo's network." Hermione pointed to the fireplace, still keeping her eyes on the book. "He said it wouldn’t take long."

 

Hermione would never tell Riddle that Dumbledore was going to help her go to St. Mungo's to see Harry. She would never tell him about Harry Potter.

 

It's an embarrassing silence that sets in, and when Hermione notices that he made no move to leave the room, she finally stares at him.

 

"Well, what do you want?" She asks, very serious.

 

"You didn’t forget our conversation, did you?" Tom tilts his head a little, at the mention of what happened, his eyes seemed to glow in a vivid green, the shadow of a smile appearing on his face.  

 

Hermione touch her jaw, her lips turning into a thin line.

 

"It's a little hard to forget, isn’t it?" She replied.

 

Before the conversation could continue, the crimson bird, The Phoenix, flew out the window, taking a few turns before settling on the perch near Hermione. Both Tom and Hermione swallowed the offense to see that they were being watched by Fawkes.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Tom, that Hermione also restricted her comments in the presence of the Phoenix, but anyway, he was the only one who seemed to be at a disadvantage in this room. Since the Phoenix seemed to choose Hermione's side.

Dumbledore had the bird to protect her.

 

"Until lunch, Ms. Granger. Thanks for the information," Tom said softly, a smile on his face. It was such an abrupt change that Hermione had to blink a few times to understand what had happened and before she could respond, Tom was already gone.

 

At dinner, Tom saw Dumbledore. The reality was that Dumbledore had arrived some time before, but Tom didn’t bother to look for him in vain. Sitting at the Slytherin table, Tom watched Hermione at the far end of the Hall, she was there, sitting equally as a beautiful challenge, and when she looked at Dumbledore expectantly, Dumbledore nodded and her smile appeared.

He didn’t know what kind of relationship she had with Dumbledore, but Tom was sure they both had secrets.

 

Headmaster Dippet gestured the students to calm down and pay attention to what he was going to say. Dippet was making the year-end speech, something that Tom has already memorized in his mind - if he wants, he may even repeat. _This is another year gone and blah, blah, blah, blah_... - now, Dippet was talking about the incidents that happened and about the death of the muggle-born Myrtle Warren, which was a difficult year for all but mostly for the Ravenclaw. Tom bit his lower lip to hide a giggle. Dipper would deliver the Hogwarts Cup.

 

"Fourth place, it’s Gryffindor with three hundred and twenty points, third place Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two points, second place it’s Ravenclaw with four hundred and sixty-three points. Five hundred points, Slytherin. So, gentlemen, the Cup will go to the Slytherin House. "

 

Clapping, the Main Hall was decorated with the colors of the Slytherin House. The students clapped in celebration, especially the Slytherins.

 

"Go ahead, Tom. Go get the Cup." Otis Parkinson spoke and the whole Slytherin table agreed.

 

Tom got up from the table and headed for Dippet, who held the Cup in his hands, very happy to deliver the Cup to his favorite student.Slughorn was radiant because the Slytherin house had won. Tom felt the Cup in his hands, being the center of attention, listening to the claps of the other students and the teachers. He looked around, feeling euphoric, drunk with emotion, the taste of power in his tongue.

He looked at Winky Crockett, the Slytherin House Headboy, who nodded. Tom didn’t need anyone's approval to do what he wanted or that he thought would benefit him. Although Winky was the prefect, Tom was in charge of the Slytherin House.

 

"Headmaster Dippet," Tom said. With Tom's voice, they all stopped the celebration, silently watching closely what was happening. Tom did his best to look happy, innocent and worried, even a bit hesitant. His facial expressions, more convincing than any actor in a drama play.

 

"Tom?" Dippet asked.

 

"We, from Slytherin House, are very happy to receive the Cup. My housemates and I worked hard to get the points. But we agreed that if we won the House Cup, we would deliver the Cup to the Ravenclaw House. It was very horrible what happened this year." Tom looked down, still feeling the weight of the Cup in his hands, imitating an expression of regret. "Especially with Miss Warren. So... " He offered the Cup to Dippet again.

 

Tom looked at the rest of the Great Hall and gave a weak, hesitant smile. The girls from all the Houses were blowing up with hormones, wishing they had Tom Riddle. Tom looked at Slughorn and lowered his eyes, pretending to be embarrassed.

 

"Well..." Dippet took the cup. "Look, students, this is an extremely honorable act of Slytherin House, who thought in their classmates instead of gratification. Miss. Dorothy Greengrass, come and get the Cup. "

 

Dorothy Greengrass, in her uniform perfectly neat and her hair black with no hair out of place, up to the stair to Dippet. In front of Tom, she reached out for a greeting and for a moment Tom saw that familiar glow as she looked up at him. Lust and libido. She smiled with those red lipstick lips and turned to Dippet, picking up the House Cup.

 

"Thank you very much, Headmaster. Thank you very much, Mr. Riddle and thank you to every one of the Slytherin House. Your act will not be forgotten by the Ravenclaw House. "

 

The girl could have gotten very well into the Slytherin House.

 

The Great Hall burst into applause again. When Tom sat down again, Greengrass was still staring at him at the Ravenclaw table. Her gaze told him a lot as she bit her bottom lip. Rosier and Avery noticed the look Greengrass was giving to Tom and they looked at each other as they laughed.

 

"Looks like someone wants to have her skirt lifted today" Lestrange muttered and Mulciber and Nott laughed.

 

Tom snorted and lifted an eyebrow, propping his elbow on the table, while his hand was supporting the head. Behind the figure of Miss Greengrass, Tom noted the 'beautiful challenge' at the opposite end of the Hall, Granger. Hermione Granger. She looked at him too, her lips in a thin, serious. And Tom knew, _she knows._

She knows it was  a theater.

 

In the Common Room of Slytherin, Dolohov complained.

 

"I can’t believe we won in Quidditch and had to hand over the Cup to the Ravenclaw."

 

"Whatever." Alphard shrugged, sitting on one of the sofas as he watched a girl.

 

"Anyway, we'll get the Cup next year," Rosier concluded.

 

"Don’t be stingy," Lestrange said and everyone looked at him in disbelief that he was the person who were saying that.  

 

"No, Lestrange is right," Tom murmured, sitting in his favorite armchair. His comment caught the eyes of everyone. "Give alms to the poor. It's the moral code, isn’t it?" He chuckled, making others laugh.

 

Tom watched silently and attentively all the others, paying special attention to Alphard, who was leaning slightly over Madame Blentchley, leaning one hand above Madame's head, smiling at her and biting his lower lip. She, in turn, was blushing.

 

Tom got up and left the Common Room, heading toward the Deputy Headmaster's office. He didn’t even have to knock on the door because the door had already opened for him and in the center of the office was Dumbledore. Granger was out of sight.

 

"Come closer, Tom." Dumbledore said.

 

Tom's jaw clenched with a bouncing nerve. He took deliberately slow steps, holding the wand with an iron grip.

 

"Professor," Tom greeted. He looked at the Phoenix, who stared at him with the same intensity in his gaze, resting on the perch.

 

"Lemon drops?" Dumbledore offered, and Tom denied it. "Well, Mr.Riddle." Dumbledore raised his hand, leaving the palm of his hand sample, asking.

 

Tom squeezed his wand a little more, refusing to give his wand to Dumbledore, his interior was corroding with the idea of giving up his wand for another year.

 

"Professor, please," he begged, looking at the wand in his hands.

 

"We've had this conversation, Tom."

 

"Please, let me stay. I don’t want to go back to the orphanage. Let me stay in Hogwarts this summer. I promise I will not cause any trouble ... you will not even feel my presence here. I do anything! I even help the elves!" Tom spoke quickly, almost without pause. Offering himself to do any job, because all he wanted was to stay in Hogwarts.

 

"I'm sorry, Tom. But you must go back to the orphanage," Dumbledore said. He felt that Tom had grasped magic and power very quickly, Tom needed to have contact with Muggles and the outside world to alleviate that ambition that Dumbledore so much saw in him.

 

"Please, Professor! I do anything! I helped find the monster that was hurting the students! I don’t deserve this reward? I return the medal! "

 

Dumbledore looked at Tom's despair for a moment, recognizing the genuine emotion that these green eyes conveyed. However, when Tom quoted the supposed 'monster' of Hogwarts, Aragog, Dumbledore's suspicion returned.

 

"I'm sorry,  my young man," Dumbledore denied with regret in his voice.

 

Tom lowered his gaze again at Dumbledore's refusal, the grip he held on his wand was so much that it was possible to hear the sound of his hand clutching the wand's wood. Tom took a deep breath, regrouping, and raised his face to face Dumbledore, his chin slightly pointed up, wanting to indicate superiority. Dumbledore has no idea how difficult it was for him to have to beg to stay in Hogwarts. He hates to beg, gives him the same feeling that someone is tearing his skin off. His pride makes him angry.

 

"Here." He held his wand in Dumbledore's hand. Refusing to face Dumbledore for another moment, Tom turned and walked toward the door.

 

"Good vacation, Tom." He heard Dumbledore say, before closing the door.

 

_Someday I'm going to drown this old man in his own blood and with my own hands. Or who knows, I can throw him out of the Astronomy Tower._

 

Tom came back cursing Dumbledore more than when he went to the office. In a corner of the hall, Tom stopped, hiding behind a pillar. He looked more forward to see Granger and the two Prewett brothers. They were talking to each other, basically Granger and younger brother Prewett were comforting the older Prewett, Ignatius.Granger hugged Ignatius, an act that surprised both brothers, including Tom himself. Her hands went up and down Ignatius's back, as if she were comforting a child. Above Ignatius's shoulder, her face had a strange expression. A mixture of anguish and understanding. When she separated from Ignatius, Ectur put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed, as if to say 'thank you.' Ectur waved at her and patted Ignatius on the upper back. The brothers asked Granger about something, bid her farewell, and made their way to Gryffindor Tower. Granger stood still, watching them make their way to Gryffindor's home and then she turned to the image of the night with the new moon shining in the clear sky. A clear summer night. The wind blew her hair lightly, she sighed and made her way toward Tom, not knowing he was hiding.

 

He leaned against the pillar, folding his arms. The figure of his person mingling with darkness, the only color that stood out was the green of his eyes and the green of the masculine uniform of Slytherin.

 

When Granger noticed his presence, he noticed her hesitation to continue on the path, but in the end, using the Gryffindor courage, she continued with firm steps. Riddle raised one eyebrow and looked with interest as she passed him. The only movement he did was with his eyes, those green eyes following her movement. He waited and finally gave the 'snake grip' in her, grabbing her arm.

 

"Making your way to Dumbledore, Granger?" He asked, holding her arm. "Shall I remind you again of the curse?"

 

Of course he didn’t overcame her ignoring him after all that had happened. It's not common for his victims to ignore him.

 

She snorted.

 

"Now I'm sure you're bluffing about this curse on my tongue. You wanted me to be scared, to cry and beg for you." She replied, face to face with him, even though she was still under his grip.

 

A side grin appeared on Tom's face. If he couldn’t curse Dumbledore, he would do it on his favorite student.

 

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. Tom leaned down so that his lips were touching against her ear. His breath shivered Hermione. "It would be a shame if the snake image under your tongue would release the curse and infect you. This curse that would rot your tongue and mold your mouth until necrosis and nothing remained. "

 

Tom returned in the ideal position to look at Granger's face and see the look of horror on her face.

 

"Of course this will not happen if you don’t say anything about that night in that room or in that bathroom. Because, let's face it, Granger, our little secrets shouldn’t fall into the wrong ears. "

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Acanthophis Antarcticus. Also known as Death Adder, the seventh most poisonous snake in the world.


End file.
